Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 149 The army sets out for battle
Zhu Cilang did not dare to underestimate his enemy. After Duoduo experienced the "Battle of Fengyang", he had a preliminary understanding of bastion-like defensive fortifications, and in just a few months, he summed up many methods of breaking the city.

You know, the first earthen wall outside Fengyang City had already been breached before the Qing army retreated. If Duoduo had not been forced to retreat early, it would only be a matter of time before the second earthen wall was breached.

After seeing Jiujiang City, Ajige also knew that such a city was easy to defend but difficult to attack. After returning north, they made a summary and learned how to build and attack bastions from missionaries such as Johann Adam Schall von Bell.

At this time, the Manchus' ability to learn about warfare was still outstanding. In order to spread the gospel, Johann Adam Schall von Bell actively assisted the Qing court, even disseminating more systematic cannon-casting techniques to the Qing court's firearms craftsmen.

Now, with the technical support of Western missionaries such as Johann Adam Schall von Bell, the Qing troops in Wuchang and Xiangyang quickly imitated Jiujiang City, and Yuezhou City began to repair and strengthen its defenses. This was not good news for Zhu Cilang.

However, the initiative on the battlefield is now in the hands of the Qing army. Dorgon did not invest too much manpower and material resources in the defense of these cities, and Zhu Cilang did not have enough strength to besiege these strategic locations.

In the military meeting room of the Five Military Commandery, Chen Fu's specially repaired slender wooden stick stopped at Jingzhou, west of the Huguang map, and began to analyze the Qing army's strategic intentions:
"Combining the reconnaissance of the Jinyiwei and the front-line scouts, and judging from the movements of the Qing army's vanguard, Dorgon's southern offensive is expected to officially begin in early December. The first wave of the offensive will most likely be divided into three groups, with the first attack starting in Jingzhou.

Among them, the commander of the western route is most likely Duoduo, and his main attack routes are most likely Jingmen Prefecture, Dangyang, and Yiling. The purpose is to cut off the westward retreat route of Li Guo and other troops stationed in Jingzhou. He can also go south to capture Zhijiang, Lizhou, and even threaten Changde.

If nothing unexpected happens, the central route should be the main force of the Qing army's southern expedition, and Dorgon will definitely lead the troops personally. The total strength of this army, including the Green Camp, is likely to be close to 100,000, and it is almost impossible for Li Guo's troops to match it.

The Qing troops on the east route should be young members of the Tartar royal family such as Bolo or Lekedehun. This force is most likely to strengthen the strength of the Qing army in Wuchang, harass Yuezhou or Jiujiang, and tie down our troops stationed in the two places.

However, regardless of whether the Qing army's main attack direction is Huguang, after confirming the garrison forces deployed by our army in Yuezhou and Jiujiang, Dorgon will inevitably be very cautious in northern Jiangxi.

Therefore, the Qing army's strength in the east should not be small. Dorgon is likely to send a large number of troops to defend Wuchang, or even take advantage of the unpreparedness of the defenders of Yuezhou and Jiujiang to launch a surprise attack."

The generals around the long table stared at the map intently. After listening to Chen Fu's analysis, they all became very alert and began to think about countermeasures.

"After the Battle of Fengyang, the Qing army would have been extremely cautious and would have prepared well in advance for the siege. This was why they mobilized troops from the north to collect food and forced laborers before the battle.

After the lesson of the previous night attack on Fengyang City, and the fact that the training of Li Guo's Zhongzheng Camp troops is far from enough, it is difficult to achieve the previous results by taking the initiative to attack. It is likely that the number of Qing troops that Jingzhou can eventually tie down will not be too many, and the time of tie-up should not be too long.

Therefore, the Yuezhou defense line in the south must demonstrate corresponding strength in order to contain the main force of the Qing army in the center. The same applies to the Jiujiang Prefecture defense line in the east. The garrison must do its utmost to harass the Qing army in Wuchang, making it difficult for Dorgon to take care of both ends.

"The Qing army can only do this. Dorgon can't just march south with so many troops. Even if Jingzhou City can't be taken, he must capture most of the other cities. Otherwise, there will be no way to ensure that the logistics are not disrupted."

After Zhu Cilang finished speaking, he immediately instructed Chen Fu: "Tell me about our troop deployment!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Chen Fu received the order and immediately continued:
"Based on the Qing army's offensive and troop strength, the Five Military Commandery, after several military discussions, finally decided to focus the defense on northern Jiangxi and Yuezhou.

Li Guo had 20,000 elite soldiers under his command who defended the city and trained while fighting. The Qing army could not break the city for at least half a year. Although they did not have the strength to fight back against the Qing army, Dorgon would definitely not be able to break the city easily.

If Dorgon wanted to achieve his goal in one fell swoop, then his main attack would have to be Jiujiang, and he would not have spent too much time in Jingzhou. If he had explored the emperor's deployment and realized that he could not achieve his goal in one fell swoop, then Yuezhou and Changsha would have been his main targets.

Therefore, the real direction of their attack was most likely Jiujiang at the beginning, and it was probably just a feint in Jingzhou. Even the Qing general Ye Chen in Xiangyang was making such a big fuss and attacking everywhere at this time, just to lure us to deploy our troops into Jingzhou City.

In this way, Dorgon can trap our forces in Jingzhou and wait for an opportunity to break through Jiujiang, or go south through Yuezhou and capture Changsha, then control all of Huguang and use it as a base to slowly attack Jiangxi."

"The Qing army is so arrogant, and Dorgon is eager to establish his authority. The main attack direction of the Qing army is probably northern Jiangxi. If the main force is deployed in Huguang to guard against the Qing army's southward attack on Changsha, it will be difficult to withstand the strong attack of the Qing army with the current military strength in northern Jiangxi." Hu Maozhen asked.

"That's right. That bastard Dorgon is definitely planning to attack Nanjing. He probably doesn't even consider Changsha," Li Benshen continued. "If we divide our forces too much in Huguang, then only the troops in Zuozhen will be left in northern Jiangxi. Can they stop the main force of the Qing army?"

"The terrain in northern Jiangxi is complex. Even if the main force of the Qing army arrives, it will be difficult to quickly deploy the advantage of cavalry. However, if we want to repel the Qing army, we must have the Tianqi Army, the Dianqian Army, and the Jingying."

Chang Denggui paused, then changed the subject and continued:

"However, given the speed and combat effectiveness of the Qing cavalry, deploying just three to five thousand cavalry outside the city would be enough to pin down our tens of thousands of elite infantry. Deploying heavy troops in any city is unwise!"

In this southern expedition of the Qing court, in addition to the Eight Banners Army, most of the hundreds of thousands of elite Green Camp troops recruited from Shaanxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, northern Zhili and other places will certainly follow. In Huguang alone, the total force is likely to reach hundreds of thousands.

Even if Zhu Cilang led more than 50,000 troops from the Palace Army and the Beijing Camp to provide support, and assembled standard camps and local garrisons from Huguang, Jiangxi and other places, he actually did not have an advantage in terms of military strength, especially mobile forces.

This made it impossible for him to ensure that he could easily form a military advantage on the battlefields in the three directions of Jingzhou, Yuezhou and Jiujiang at the same time. The Qing army's occupation of Wuchang made it very troublesome for Zhu Cilang to transfer troops from northern Jiangxi to Huguang.

Therefore, his deployment must be very cautious, otherwise it will be easy for the main force to be trapped in one front and there will be no troops available on the other front.

"Although Dorgon's strategic skills are not as good as Huang Taiji's, he is surrounded by a group of Manchu and Han ministers and generals who offer advice. Once he realizes that attacking northern Jiangxi will not yield quick results, he will definitely not be stubborn and continue to push forward."

Zhu Cilang paused, looked around at the generals in front of him, and then said:
"The Qing army's time to march south is limited. The Mongols to the north and west, and the Green Camp troops in Shaanxi and Shanxi, are not necessarily compliant. Even if they were, the Qing army would be unable to continue fighting once the temperature rose.

Therefore, Dorgon must fight quickly and decisively. If the siege of northern Jiangxi fails for a long time, he must find a way to achieve victory and prepare for the future attack on Jiangxi and finally the south of the Yangtze River.

Seeing the generals looking thoughtful, as if they had understood, Zhu Cilang turned to look at Chen Fu and said:

"Keep talking!"

Chen Fu received the order and immediately raised the long wooden stick in his hand, pointing to the location of Changsha City and said:
"If the main force of the Qing army under Dorgon's command had been supported by Qing troops from Wuchang, it would not have been difficult for them to cross the river at places like Linxiang. His deployment appeared to focus on attacking Jingzhou, but he could have quickly raided Yuezhou, or perhaps even marched directly from Hanyang to Wuchang.

But if, as Your Majesty says, Dorgon realizes he cannot quickly capture northern Jiangxi, and instead settles for the next best option, with his main attack direction shifting to Changsha, then the Western Route Army led by Duoduo will also be incredibly effective."

"We must ensure sufficient military strength in Jingzhou and Yuezhou, especially Yuezhou. Too many troops were originally stationed in northern Jiangxi. The Palace Front Army, the Palace Front Left Army, and the main force of the Beijing Camp will all be deployed along the Yuezhou-Changsha line."

Zhu Cilang made adjustments immediately. The initial battle plan made by Chen Fu and some generals was obviously top-heavy.

"If we just want to hold on to northern Jiangxi, the troops of Zuozhen will be enough. However, just in case, the Beijing Battalion should stick to the original plan and stay in Nankang and wait in Hukou. With the current combat capability of the Beijing Battalion, if we send two combat battalions to garrison Hukou, with the support of the Poyang Lake Navy, they can hold out for a long time even if the main force of the Qing army comes to attack."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hu Maozhen immediately accepted the order.

After Chen Fu readjusted the deployment according to Zhu Cilang's instructions, he continued to speak to the generals:

"Our army's defensive counterattack this time will be led by the Palace Front Central Army, Palace Front Left Army, Heavenly Cavalry Army, and Nanjing Jingying Army. They will also serve as the strategic mobile force for this war. The garrisons in various places are the Zhongzheng Camp in Jingzhou, the Zuozhen Camp in northern Jiangxi, the two major battalions in Yuezhou, and the two naval divisions in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake.

Our army's strategic objectives for this campaign were threefold. The first was to completely repel the southern invading Qing forces, expend tens of thousands of Eight Banners soldiers, and gain a strategic advantage on the Huguang battlefield. The second was to seize Hanyang, Xiangyang, and other cities while the Qing army's main force retreated and deployed inappropriately, thus fully preparing for the subsequent recapture of Wuchang and isolating the Qing forces in the north.

If the Qing army makes a strategic mistake and the situation turns favorable, we can pursue the third-level strategic goal of capturing Wuchang City. However, the prerequisite for achieving this strategic goal is that the main force of the Qing army is severely damaged, while our army's combat effectiveness remains strong.

In this way, the two naval forces from Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake can simply move up the river and cut off the support of the Qing army from all over Jiangbei, and Wuchang City will be within their grasp! "

In late November, tens of thousands of Ming troops had successfully assembled and entered a state of preparation for war in just half a month in the densely packed military camps to the north and east of Yingtian Prefecture, in Pukou Camp, and in Nanjing City.

At the same time, to expedite the transport of troops, Zhu Cilang ordered the mobilization of merchant ships from the various prefectures along the Yangtze River. Today, countless troop transports and military supply ships enter and exit Yingtian Prefecture's docks daily, each one aboard, constantly loading large numbers of soldiers, provisions, and ammunition.

Nearing evening, the flag team where Gu Defu was located finally finished their duty. The three squads of armored soldiers marched in the alleys of the military camp in neat steps, accompanied by his hoarse slogans like a gander and the drummer's neat small drum beats.

After the expansion of the Palace Army, Zhu Cilang immediately ordered Li Banghua to expand the original military camp based on the original Pukou camp and build a new military city, which was also an important pilot project in Zhu Cilang's military construction plan.

This newly built military city is oriented east-west, with a wide street running through it. On both sides of the street are neatly and symmetrically arranged barracks and warehouses, revealing the unique strict style of the army everywhere.

All facilities in the military city are very comprehensively planned, especially the fire prevention facilities, which have learned from the long-term fire lessons in military camps in various places, especially the various weapon workshops attached to the barracks, as well as the family resettlement areas outside.

There are large partitions between all the warehouses and barracks in Pukou New City, and large water tanks are placed in the middle. On the one hand, they can provide soldiers with daily needs, and on the other hand, they are also the source of water for firefighting in case of fire. Special officers are responsible for inspection every day.

At present, all the troops of the Ming Dynasty have gathered in their respective camps and are ready to march westward at any time. The warehouses scattered throughout Yingtian Prefecture are also constantly transporting military supplies and equipment, which store most of the materials needed for the 50,000-strong army to march westward.

In addition to the original wharf in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Cilang had already ordered the Ministry of Works to build two new wharves on each of the north and south banks of the Yangtze River, as well as four temporary wharves, which ensured the speed of Ming Dynasty's troop dispatch in the early stages of the war.

Gu Defu had just returned to the camp he needed when the deafening sound of drums and trumpets came from the hillside in the northwest, and billowing smoke and dust rose into the sky. It was the Tianqi Army that was in training.

He remembered the rhythm of the cavalry's drums and bugles, and had secretly watched cavalry training. He had heard the sound of horse hooves countless times and was very familiar with these sounds.

During the "Battle of Huaibei", Gu Defu wanted to become a cavalryman, but unfortunately, when the army was reorganized, he, an infantry officer who had performed well in many battles, ended up staying in the Palace Army.

Moreover, Zhao Zhengdong had already been officially promoted to captain, and he also became the flag commander. If he were to join the cavalry, he would have to start from scratch, and his monthly salary would be much less.

Gu Defu is not the kind of person who doesn't care about monthly salary or fame and fortune. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally stayed in the combat camp and continued to follow Zhao Zhengdong.

You know, due to his outstanding performance in the Battle of Huaibei, the Battle of Fengyang, and the Battle of Tushan, Zhao Zhengdong is now well-known in the Palace Army. Gu Defu has become more and more impressed with Zhao Zhengdong, the big brother, and he hopes to be by his side.

After he was promoted to flag commander, like Zhao Zhengdong, he had the opportunity to receive tactical training for officers. His vision was different from what it was at the beginning. This was a treatment he could never enjoy when he was a cavalryman.

However, after taking those so-called tactical courses, he became more and more aware of the strength of cavalry, but because he understood cavalry better, the fear in his heart was actually less.

Following the drumbeat, Gudefu and his flag team quickly returned to their camp. Seeing that many barracks along the way were empty, he knew that the time for the army to set out was not far away.

In fact, just yesterday, he heard the news that His Majesty had brought the imperial army to the camp on the south bank and would soon board the ship to lead the army in person. Also accompanying him were Admiral Chen, Admiral Chang, Chief Instructor Zhang and others.

However, this kind of news has been coming in continuously recently, and each piece of news seems to make sense, but many of them are just rumors, and he is not sure whether they are true.

When the flag team returned to the barracks, they disbanded their formation at Goodford's shout. They immediately went into the house to take off their armor and put their weapons neatly away. Then, before they had time to untie their belts, they immediately formed groups of three or five, shouted at each other, and started smoking in front of the beds.

There were almost no entertainment activities in the barracks, and drinking was not allowed, so smoking became a common hobby for everyone, especially after the rigorous training. Even many people who originally had no habit of smoking, after being exposed to the smoke in the barracks for a while, would feel the urge to smoke a few cigarettes a day.

This is actually the greatest significance of the existence of those government-run shops in the military city. Cigarettes have long become a very important military supply, even affecting the morale of the army.

After finishing his cigarette, Gudefu immediately began to organize his equipment. Others also returned to the barracks one after another. Soon, more than 20 people started talking about when the army would set out.

"General, do you know when we will go to Huguang?" Du Yuetao, a small team leader under Gu Defu, looked up and asked while wiping the sword in his hand:
"Didn't they say last night that His Majesty had already left the palace? This morning, Sun Gouzi and his men had already left, so why haven't we seen any movement?"

Du Yuetao was originally an officer of a garrison in Zhejiang. During the Battle of Jianghuai, he followed local generals to the north to defend the king. Because he had received basic military training and even suppressed bandits before, he performed well during the Battle of Jianghuai. Some of the soldiers he led were recruited into the Palace Army along with him.

During his military training, he stood out among the new recruits and became a squad leader by taking advantage of the opportunity to promote officers from the grassroots level after the expansion of the army.

Gu Defu was very fond of this clever subordinate. He stopped cleaning his gun and sighed:
"We shouldn't be the last batch. If we're leaving soon, we might be in the next two days. Now we're just waiting for the briefing. Didn't all the new recruits write suicide notes the night before yesterday?"

This is the new military regulation formulated since Zhu Cilang ascended the throne. With so many new recruits joining the war this time, the Military Affairs Department and the Training Team must send people over before the war to ask these new recruits to write a suicide note to prevent any accidents.

"I heard the Tartars have already launched several attacks in the north. It seems the army is led by a Tartar prince named Anji. I heard he's quite good at fighting. If we continue like this, we won't have to stay in Jiangbei by then, will we?"

At this time, another recruit put down the bow in his hand, leaned towards Gu Defu, and asked worriedly:

"If we stay in Jiangbei, won't we have to defend Fengyang again?"

"That's impossible!" Gu Defu shook his head and said with certainty:

"That's what you don't understand. Captain Zhao told me a few days ago that this war is all planned in advance. Once the army begins to assemble, the entire court will follow suit. In addition to our combat soldiers, musketeers, and cavalry, there are also hundreds of thousands of civilians being mobilized. This cannot be changed at will.

Moreover, once the war begins, the musket workshops and artillery workshops will all have to work intensively. Sometimes, if they're short on manpower, they might even have to pull people in from the civilian workshops, or even conscript civilians. There's a lot of knowledge involved here!"

Although Gu Defu had not taken more advanced strategic courses, Zhao Zhengdong's level had reached that level. He had been influenced by his subordinates and had some understanding of the process of the Five Military Commandery in formulating military combat plans and the many factors that were considered in the plans.

The soldiers under his command had no idea about this, so they just followed his instructions. They were all frightened and nodded in agreement, some even shouted loudly, half-comprehendingly responding:
"Oh, oh, oh~~~"

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!"

"."

Gu Defu said this, looking firmly at the subordinates in front of him, and said:
"I don't want to wait any longer. With so many soldiers and horses in this battle, we will definitely defeat the Tartars. I'm eager to take their heads and make a name for myself!"

"Yes, if the Tartars encounter us, they will definitely not be able to survive for more than a few days. By then, we will definitely be able to kill them without leaving a single piece of armor!"

"Hahaha, two Tartar heads can marry a wife. I want to chop off a few of them in my dreams!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the room suddenly became restless. The other soldiers who had been silent at first also interrupted and began to discuss enthusiastically the rewards after the victory.

After experiencing victory in the Jianghuai War, they no longer showed any fear when facing the Tartars who had once terrified all Ming troops. They even wanted to kill the enemy, gain merit, get promoted and make money.

This is the confidence built through victory on the battlefield!
You know, under the leadership of Zhu Cilang and Li Banghua, the rewards for the Palace Army were very generous. Those soldiers who retired due to injuries and those who died in battle also received astonishing pensions and were included in the "Temple of Loyal Ministers". The benefits and prospects involved were enough to make everyone imagine.

“Woo, woo, woo~~~”

Suddenly, a military bugle sounded, and Gudefu and the other soldiers immediately jumped off the bed as if by reflex, while he shouted:

"Assemble, everyone assemble!"

(End of this chapter)