Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 161 Everyone is prepared
In the temporary palace of Yuezhou City, Zhu Cilang put down the latest military report that Li Guo sent by horse overnight, and looked up at the ministers and generals in the room.

Now, in addition to Li Guo, Liu Rukui, Ma Chongxi and other loyal camp generals who were defending Jingzhou City to contain the main force of the Qing army, and the left town commander Ma Shixiu, generals Xu Yong and Ma Jinzhong who stayed in Jiujiang City, the main generals of various troops in the Huguang and northern Jiangxi battlefields have gathered in Yuezhou.

Ever since Dorgon led the main force of the Eight Banners south, the balance of power between the Ming and Qing sides in the Huguang battlefield immediately reversed. The Qing army quickly gained the initiative on the battlefield. Seeing this, Zhu Cilang immediately led the army to "Yuezhou Prefecture City" according to the original plan.

The last time Zhu Cilang presided over a military meeting in Nanchang City, most of the generals on the Huguang battlefield were unable to attend due to time constraints and the worsening situation.

But now, the situation was completely different. The battle of Jingmen Prefecture dealt a heavy blow to the Qing army's arrogance, and the various Ming armies were greatly encouraged. Even Ma Jinzhong in northern Jiangxi frequently took the initiative to attack and harass the Qing troops of the Aljin Division stationed in Wuchang.

As the war situation changed, Dorgon led his troops south and attacked Yuezhou directly. The situation in Changsha became increasingly obvious, and Zhu Cilang had to adjust his deployment according to the latest military intelligence.

Of course, no matter how powerful Dorgon's army was, the mountains, rivers and terrain of Huguang were still his important reliance.

Because the Yangtze River runs through the east and west and is divided by mountain ranges on both sides, the Qing army could not cross the river quickly from near Jingzhou City to the south. The terrain around Wuchang City was very rugged. If it was impossible to cross the river directly from the north of Yuezhou, the Qing army would suffer great losses from taking a detour.

But the problem was that the two sturdy cities of Jingzhou and Yuezhou were directly located at the two ends of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in the Huguang section, at the mouth of Dongting Lake. The cities were respectively occupied by the powerful Li Guo and the Ming Emperor Zhu Cilang, who had already made the Qing army afraid. Dorgon had to deal with them carefully.

Although Zhu Cilang could not concentrate his forces to fight a decisive battle with the main force of the Qing army in any of Jingzhou, Yuezhou, or Changsha, the fact that he was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and stationed his most elite Tianqi Army and Dianqian Army in Yuezhou City was itself a natural deterrent.

This not only caused Dorgon's plan to find a river crossing point north of Yuezhou to be questioned by Duoduo, Bolo and others, but also caused constant quarrels and demoralization in the army, which greatly increased the risk of him leading his troops south to besiege Changsha.

If Dorgon concentrated his forces to besiege Yuezhou Prefecture, Changsha Prefecture, southern Hunan, and western Hunan, he could use waterways to continuously deliver food, equipment, laborers, and soldiers to Yuezhou. Zhu Cilang could also leave at any time, and even if the Qing army besieged the city for several years, it would be useless.

But if Dorgon led his troops directly south, he would be putting himself in a passive situation. Zhu Cilang could take the initiative to attack in Yuezhou City and look for opportunities to fight.

Although the distance between Yuezhou and Changsha is not far, Dorgon cannot deploy his troops quickly, and Zhu Cilang cannot fight an unprepared battle. By the time Dorgon reacts, he will be in a dangerous situation where he will be attacked from both sides.

Moreover, although Li Guo is now surrounded in Jingzhou and is temporarily safe, his strength still remains. There are still tens of thousands of loyal camp soldiers in Jingzhou City. As long as the main force of the Eight Banners led by Dorgon moves south, he will not be so cowardly.

Not to mention, the Ming Dynasty also had the advantage of navy. In order to ensure the safety of food routes, Dorgon had to deploy heavy troops in Jiangbei and Yuezhou to contain the Ming army.

In other words, the current war situation in Huguang is still under the control of Zhu Cilang. The Ming army will not choose to consume the Qing army bit by bit on the Xiangjiang Plain. This is not the result Zhu Cilang wants, nor is it what Dorgon, Duoduo and others want to see.

"The main force of the Eight Banners led by Dorgon is still very powerful. Li Guo led his troops out of the city a few days ago to fight a battle. With their backs against the city walls and artillery covering both flanks, they still returned in defeat.

Dorgon is not easy to deal with, and each of his generals is experienced in the battlefield and is no easy task either."

Zhu Cilang paused, then slowly said:
"I have called everyone here today for this military meeting to determine our next strategy against the enemy. Dorgon is personally leading the troops south this time, and he will not retreat until he can no longer hold on."

All the generals in the room were listening attentively. After the victory in Jingmen Prefecture, the morale of each unit was very high. However, with the frequent clashes in the past half month between the Zhongzheng Camp in Jingzhou and the Palace Army and the small units of the Eight Banners Army left by Zhu Cilang to assist, everyone regained their senses.

The victory or defeat on the battlefield is always the most powerful evidence of the strength of an army. The main force of the Eight Banners that marched south is still an enemy that cannot be underestimated!

Under such a changing situation, Zhu Cilang had to quickly adjust and decide how to deploy future wars and when to fight a decisive battle with the Qing army.

"Although the strength of the Qing army's main force was somewhat beyond our expectations, it was generally within our original expectations. If Dorgon wanted to control the entire battlefield, he had to send out small forces to guard various locations.

Now, his plan to send Ye Chen to capture Jingmen Prefecture, then Yiling Prefecture and Jingzhou, and then establish a foothold on the north bank, has been thwarted by Your Majesty. The Qing army is now struggling to cross the river. If we attack with all our strength, it will probably take the Qing army more than a month just to cross the river."

Chen Fu then began to preside over the military meeting. The war situation had developed to this point and seemed chaotic, but in fact the general outline was clear. Chaos was inevitable, and for those who were determined and had insight into the situation, there was opportunity only when there was chaos.

“However, we can’t just block them along the river, especially if the Qing army is heading straight for Yuezhou. If they attack from the west and harass Lizhou, Changde and other places, the morale of the loyal camp soldiers in Jingzhou will probably be shaken, as their families are all settled in that area.

Therefore, we must follow our original plan, retreating to advance, luring the main force of the Qing army to Yuezhou, our pre-determined battlefield, and then looking for an opportunity to concentrate our forces to inflict heavy damage on them."

"The Qing army suffered a heavy loss in Jingmen Prefecture, losing thousands of Eight Banners soldiers. Dorgon must be furious. Judging from his recent military deployments, he has a strong desire to attack. If he gets the chance, he will definitely take the initiative to attack."

Chang Denggui also said: "If we want to lure him to attack Yuezhou and cross the river in the east, we must deploy heavy troops in the west to make Dorgon think that we are losing sight of the big picture."

Upon hearing this, Hao Yongzhong secretly glanced at the others and immediately responded:
"That's right. If the Tartars seize the opportunity, they will definitely attack us immediately, and relying on their strong military strength, they will harass us relentlessly. If we can lure them to Yuezhou, we won't have to mobilize a large force westward. The Eight Banners cavalry are extremely fast, and our infantry will probably have difficulty escaping them quickly."

Upon hearing this, the other people in the room also expressed their opinions. Most of them realized very clearly that the Qing army had always looked down on the Ming army, especially the southern soldiers. The sense of superiority and confidence accumulated day after day and year after year would not change immediately because of a victory in annihilating thousands of enemies.

The death of Ye Chen, an old Manchu general, and the escape of hundreds of Eight Banners soldiers certainly contributed to the spread of the Ming army's reputation, but Dorgon was not scared. At the same time, many Eight Banners officers did not agree with the result of the battle of Jingmenzhou. Under Dorgon's deliberate guidance, the morale of the Qing army was quickly restored.

After listening to the opinions of his generals, Zhu Cilang nodded and continued:

"This time, the Qing army is marching south in full force. The army under Dorgon's command is far more powerful than mine. He must be very confident about this battle.

However, his confidence is actually beneficial to us. If I feign defeat and retreat, withdrawing my forces to fight a few strong cities, Dorgon will surely think that I dare not fight him."

"Dorgon has led his troops south, and he must be eager to fight Your Majesty, especially after the defeat in Jingmen Prefecture. If he doesn't fight, he probably won't withdraw his troops easily. Otherwise, his position as regent will be unstable."

Du Yinxi laughed coldly, then continued loudly:
"Furthermore, even if we put aside the speculation about the power struggle within the Eastern Tartars, wasn't Dorgon leading hundreds of thousands of troops all the way here just to start a war in Huguang?
If this battle is not fought, or if it is unsuccessful, the Qing court will probably not be able to bear such a loss, and they will not be able to gain a firm foothold in the north."

He also had some understanding of the power struggles within the Qing court, and the impact of political struggles on the military has always been a focus that Zhu Cilang emphasized.

"That's right. The Qing government is currently deploying troops in Jiangbei, Huguang, and Sichuan, and is also demanding large sums of money and conscription from the northern provinces, causing widespread public resentment. Dorgon's main force of the Eight Banners, which he led on this southern expedition, has a total force of over 100,000. The cost of food and fodder alone is likely an astronomical sum. Even if Dorgon had the patience, he certainly wouldn't want to do it again."

He Tengjiao also said immediately that he rushed here from Jiujiang not just to see Du Yinxi's performance, but naturally he had to show his abilities at this time.

Moreover, although He Tengjiao's strategic and tactical skills did not improve significantly under Zhu Cilang's influence, as a minister, he was definitely not completely incompetent.

You have to know that he was originally responsible for raising money and food, and he knew very well that the current constraint on the scale of the war was actually money and food. The Qing court had no intention of negotiating peace and led its troops south within less than a year. In fact, it was because the money and food in the north could not support the Qing court's rule.

However, after Duoduo suffered a setback in Jiangbei, facing the increasingly powerful Ming army, Dorgon had to choose to attack Huguang, at least there was food there.

The generals in the room immediately echoed the two commanders, agreeing with He Tengjiao and Du Yinxi's views. This Qing army was powerful, and where to fight and how to defeat them were not simple issues.

Zhu Cilang looked around, then knocked on the long table in front of him and said:

"The most crucial thing now is to find a way to lure Dorgon across the river from the north of Yuezhou with his troops, and then find a chance to ambush him. Such an opportunity is rare, and I must tear a few pieces of flesh from Dorgon no matter what. But if we want to attack him halfway across the river, I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed. Dorgon will definitely be prepared."

Zhu Cilang was not willing to take the risk of engaging the Qing army far away from Yuezhou Prefecture. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened and he was entangled by the Qing army, the consequences would be disastrous.

Faced with the Qing army's powerful field combat capabilities, the Ming army had to closely surround several major strongholds and consume the Qing army's energy. This was the key to gaining the initiative on the battlefield.

"Dorgon should be racking his brains right now, trying to find a way to cross the river. The so-called method is nothing more than luring the tiger away from the mountain, and then quickly transporting two to three thousand Eight Banners cavalry to the south bank to cover the main force crossing the river. We just need to take advantage of his trick and pretend to fall for his trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain.

"When we take action, Dorgon will undoubtedly believe his scheme has succeeded, and he will advance boldly. We need to lure his troops into the enemy's path while also drawing the Qing army into the intended battlefield." Chen Fu had been pondering Dorgon's actions for some time. He understood Zhu Cilang's strategic intentions, but he was unsure of their specifics.

However, everything remains essentially the same, and the same applies to military matters. As long as his own deployment was sound, Dorgon had no choice but to avoid the main force of the Ming army.

"Well, continue!" Zhu Cilang's eyes lit up and he looked at Chen Fu and ordered.

Chen Fu received the order, immediately cleared his throat, and said loudly:
"If I were Dorgon, and wanted to successfully cross the river under the current circumstances, my first choice would definitely be the river section between Yiling Prefecture and Jing Prefecture. That section is away from the main force of our army, and our defense is relatively weak. Using the cover of darkness, or even without cover at all, the Zhongzheng Battalion will be unable to stop the Qing army on the north bank.

At that time, Dorgon only needs to transport two or three thousand soldiers to the south bank, and then find a way to build a pontoon bridge. With the north and south banks taking action at the same time, the probability of successfully crossing the river will definitely be greatly increased.

Therefore, we must send the navy to assist in the battle and force the Qing army to the east. This is not only to protect the garrison there, but also to lure the Qing army to our pre-set battlefield."

"Sending troops to establish a foothold on the south bank and then choosing an opportunity to cross the river, isn't this a novel idea?" Chang Denggui narrowed his eyes and was somewhat surprised by Chen Fu's strategy.

"There's no need to come up with new methods all the time when fighting a war. No matter how new the methods are, they're still just the same few." After hearing this, Zhu Cilang spoke out in support.

"But where did the Qing army get the boats? Whether they were building a pontoon bridge or forcing a crossing, they would need a large number of boats. Could they have just built them?"

Zheng Sen asked puzzledly, "If it's the latter, then the Qing army's movement is so large and time-consuming that it's hard for us to even know where they plan to force a crossing."

"Tong Yanghe, Aljin must have hidden some boats in Wuchang. They've been operating in Wuchang for so long, it's impossible that they haven't made preparations. Dorgon's first intention was to cross the river and head south. The Qing troops in Wuchang must be waiting for Dorgon's army. As soon as Dorgon's army arrives, they will immediately start to move."

Chen Fu received Zhu Cilang's support and was very proud of himself. He immediately said:
"But with the Dongting Lake Navy here, as long as we take the initiative, it will be impossible for the Qing army to force a crossing. Lure the enemy away from the mountain, then seize the opportunity to rush across the river is their best option.

At that time, the boats hidden within Wuchang City might be able to speed up the Qing army's movement, or even buy more time for a forced crossing. Dorgon only needs to seize the opportunity and prevent us from reacting in time, and his plan will be successful. And east of Yuezhou Prefecture, Linxiang is the only place he can reach.

But this is exactly what we want. We can then seize the opportunity to kill the Qing army's vanguard, further angering Dorgon and causing him to waste his strength everywhere, just like Dodo did before."

After Chen Fu thoroughly analyzed the situation and proposed specific countermeasures based on Zhu Cilang's strategic deployment, a group of generals responded:

"This is the best solution for the Qing army. Dorgon is very likely to give it a try!"

"Indeed, and Dorgon will certainly not suspect that this is a trap set by Your Majesty."

"The vanguard sent by Dorgon should only be two to three thousand. We can rely on our superior numbers to quickly defeat the Tartars and catch them off guard."

"But I'm afraid Dorgon has other tricks up his sleeve. Not only have our efforts been wasted, but the Qing army has also taken advantage of the situation and forced a crossing."

"That's not impossible. If Dorgon sees through our plan, or sends reinforcements from Wuchang City, the situation will be extremely unfavorable for us."

"."

All the generals expressed their support for Chen Fu's analysis, but they were also worried about whether Dorgon really had this idea or whether Chen Fu was just wishful thinking.

During this process, Liu Tichun's discussion on the Qing army's movements became a new focus. They could design an ambush for the Qing army, and the Qing army could also set an ambush.

After listening to these opinions, Zhu Cilang basically agreed with them. The biggest problem he faced now was how to fall into the trap legitimately, bluff in the west, make Dorgon relax his vigilance, and then lead the Qing army's vanguard into the ambush battlefield he had set up.

At the same time, the issue raised by Liu Tichun that Dorgon deliberately fell into the trap and then turned the tables on him also became an issue that Zhu Cilang had to consider in his subsequent deployment.

However, he did not speak directly. He immediately gave the right to speak to Du Yinxi and He Tengjiao, asking them to express their opinions.

He Tengjiao immediately showed his weakness in choosing specific strategies and tactics. He could only say some superficial words and repeated Chen Fu's original analysis.

Du Yinxi's expression remained very calm, as if he had already made up his mind. He just cupped his hands and said calmly to Zhu Cilang:

"Admiral Chen is right, and General Liu is also right. Dorgon is very likely already biding his time. However, we don't need to do anything more. If we want to trick Dorgon, the best way is to wait patiently until the Qing army makes the first move.

Anyway, no matter which side the Qing army ultimately chooses, the initiative is always on our side. Even if we ambush the Qing army in Yiling Prefecture and Jing Prefecture, we still have the advantage with the support of our navy. It's just that the risk is greater."

"That's right. Nothing is certain on the battlefield!"

After hearing what Du Yinxi said, Zhu Cilang nodded in agreement and said:
"I am in Yuezhou, waiting for Dorgon to lead his army south and strike him head-on!"
.
On the city wall of the water gate on the north side of Wuchang City, Tan Tai looked at the boats docked by the river in the city, then turned his head to look at Aljin and Tong Yanghe, his face showing no dissatisfaction at all.

"You've been preparing for so long, and this is all you have prepared?"

"So many ships should be enough. The Ming navy is powerful. If we can't avoid it, even if we have twice, or even two or three times as many ships, we won't be able to fight a decisive battle with them." Aljin replied immediately.

He was not much higher than him in terms of family background and official position, but he had a bad temper. As soon as he arrived in Wuchang, he was very dissatisfied with the confidants of Dorgon who were ordered around by him. However, due to the situation, especially with a powerful enemy at the door, he could only endure it for now.

"Oh, Aljin, you made such a confident statement in the Tang newspaper before that the Regent thought you had built some giant warship in Wuchang. I didn't expect it was just these shabby fishing boats."

Tan Tai sneered a few times, then said with a smug look:

"I'm afraid these small fishing boats can only be used to build a pontoon bridge. If they encounter Nikan's navy, there's probably no need to fire cannons. Those real giant ships will rush over and smash these small fishing boats.

However, that's all I need to say. Since I've already led a cavalry unit across the river, the Ming army will definitely not be able to cause any trouble from now on. If that so-called Ming Emperor dares to ambush us, he'll be dead!"

After hearing Tan Tai's arrogant words, Aljin didn't say much. He actually thought so in his heart. Although Ye Chen was defeated, he also easily repelled Ma Jinzhong's harassment, which made him quickly regain his confidence.

At this time, Tong Yanghe suddenly felt something was wrong, but he also knew that as a Han minister, it would be useless to say more at this time, so he might as well shut up.

It is said that Chen Fu's guess was correct. Aljin and Tong Yanghe had indeed made preparations in Wuchang City.

Not only them, Ye Chen and Bahana had also made preparations in Xiangyang City. The wood needed to cross the river and build a pontoon bridge had already been prepared in Xiangyang City and Wuchang City.

This time, Tan Tai also led more than 3,000 Eight Banners cavalrymen, crossed the river from Hanyang and entered Wuchang Prefecture. He planned to advance from the east, and with the cover of Aljin's army, crossed mountains and ridges into northeastern Hunan, hiding in the mountains near Linxiang, ready to meet Dorgon's vanguard.

Of course, this was not because Dorgon guessed Zhu Cilang’s plan. He was just being prepared for any eventuality. But as luck would have it, both parties accidentally chose the same place.

However, this is not surprising. Linxiang is a very important location. Dorgon's army of more than 100,000 is crossing the river, along with tens of thousands of artillery pieces and supplies. Choosing a good ferry is crucial.

"If we cross the river in Linxiang, Emperor Ming will definitely take action!" Tan Tai said, and suddenly burst into laughter. He had long wanted to have a big fight with the other party.

(End of this chapter)