Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 182 Everyone has their own agenda
Zhang Huangyan's imagination made Zhu Cilang feel a little amused and helpless. He didn't think that much, and Wang Tizhong really hadn't made up his mind. Wang Deren, the middleman who acted as a matchmaker, was even more worried every day.

However, if Wang Tizhong did not rebel in the end and Wang Deren did not take any action, then Zhu Cilang would definitely have to use the strategy of attacking the heart that Zhang Huangyan mentioned.

In the big tent, with so many people present, Zhu Cilang did not say much. He just nodded slightly after listening and continued:

"Over the past year or so since the Qing army occupied Wuchang, they have continuously forcibly conscripted the surrounding civilians, strengthened and repaired the city walls, and widened the moat. Today, I have also seen the latest appearance of Wuchang City.

These Tartar dogs have learned some tricks. Regarding the siege, I have already made up my mind. Judging from the current situation, if we attack by force, there is almost no chance of victory within three to five months.

I have prepared more than 200 red-haired cannons this time, but for these bastion-like walls, even if the cannons bombard them day and night, I am afraid it will take hundreds of bombardments to achieve the desired effect.

However, the attack and defense of a city is a war of attrition, in which morale is paramount. As soon as rumors spread, even the most innocent person would find it difficult to prove themselves. Especially in the final months of the siege, if rumors were rampant, the Qing soldiers would lose trust in their generals, and Manchus and Han would become suspicious of each other, and morale would inevitably decline.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. If we can incite the Green Camp troops within Wuchang to rebel, the Qing army will surely not be able to hold out for long. If we can capture Wuchang within a month, Your Majesty's reputation will once again shake the world."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fu immediately stepped out of the group, clasped his hands, and said, "Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren are originally Han Chinese. They surrendered to the Qing court not long ago. If they want to rebel, they are very likely sincere."

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded again, then looked at Zhou Shixian and ordered:
"Shixian, have the Imperial Guard contact Wang Deren immediately and have him persuade Wang Tizhong. If he doesn't give me a reply within ten days, don't blame me for not giving him a chance."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhou Shixian immediately bowed and clasped his hands.

Soon, after Zhu Cilang arranged the deployment of various troops in the early stage of the siege, the generals returned to their respective armies and began to command the army to set up camp outside the city of Wuchang.

As Zhu Cilang led the Central Army, the Left Army, the Right Army, the four main forces of the Beijing Camp, and the local battalions mobilized from Huguang, more than 100,000 troops gathered outside the city of Wuchang. The basic military deployment of the Ming Dynasty for the siege of Wuchang was all exposed under Tunqi's eyes.

Although Tunqi did not know the specific deployment of the Ming army, nor did he know the military secrets of the Palace Army, he had some understanding of the approximate strength of the Ming army and the troops and stationing conditions of each general.

The war situation unfolded over the next few days, largely as Tunqi had anticipated. After all, this was no different from Duoduo's actions outside Fengyang, Changsha, and Jingzhou.

Under Zhu Cilang's deployment, Chen Fu and Chang Denggui quickly dispatched a large number of cavalry to guard and harass outside the city. This was not only to strictly prevent sneak attacks by the Qing army in the city, but also to train and improve the battlefield response capabilities of these new cavalry.

In the two battles of Jingmen Prefecture and Jingzhou, the Ming army seized a large number of war horses. In addition, Wang Yingxiong was efficient and purchased a large number of Tibetan horses from ethnic minorities in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places. The Tianqi Army and the cavalry of various departments were greatly expanded.

In addition to training with veterans, battlefield training is also extremely important for these new cavalrymen, which is much more useful than warnings on the training ground.

Of course, if the Qing army suddenly attacked from the city, it would be the experienced and skilled veterans who would go into battle, while the new recruits would mostly be sent out in pursuit or when the Ming army had an absolute advantage.

At the same time that Chen Fu and Chang Denggui were attacking, tens of thousands of civilians were working hard to build a large camp under the deployment of Zhu Cilang. Finally, within five days, eleven large camps were set up around the city of Wuchang.

Although the Ming army could rely on its powerful navy and huge transportation capacity to transport wood and ironware for setting up camps and building military equipment from other places to Wuchang, the loading and unloading process was cumbersome and still required huge manpower.

But the Qing army had already fortified Wuchang and cleared the countryside, and the Ming army had no choice but to transfer supplies from other places!
During this period, after the troops of Li Guo, Liu Rukui, Ma Chongxi and others from Jingzhou Prefecture, Chengtian Prefecture and De'an Prefecture completed their deployment, they began to test the Qing army's attack on Xiangyang, but the main force remained motionless.

The Qing army in Xiangyang Prefecture and Gao Di in Nanyang Prefecture did not dare to act rashly, let alone mobilize troops south to support Wuchang Prefecture. They could hardly protect themselves.

The three brothers Wang Guangen of Yunyang Prefecture, with the support of Zhu Cilang, quickly launched an attack in Nanyang. The vanguard then quickly crossed the southern range of Shangluo Mountain and attacked the city of Neixiang.

However, due to the barrier between Yunyang and Nanyang Prefecture, the Wang brothers' troops were short of manpower, and logistical supplies and support from the main force of the Huguang Ming army were also very difficult. This vanguard was quickly repelled by the Green Camp Army led by Gao Di.

Wang Guangen originally wanted to take advantage of the situation and make great contributions in Nanyang, but in the end he was forced to retreat to Yunyang before the main force of the Zhongzheng Camp arrived to reinforce him.

As for Sichuan, Gao Yigong was still trying to pacify the local people and completely ignored Zhang Xianzhong's bluffing.

The time Zhang Xianzhong spent going crazy in Sichuan was greatly shortened because Hauge and Wu Sangui went south early. In the end, the Dashi Army did not attack everywhere, but quickly concentrated in northern Sichuan.

Zhang Xianzhong was completely trapped in Sichuan at this time. Inspired by the Ming Dynasty, local gentry and landlords also became his enemies. On his way north, he could only let his soldiers patrol day and night and guard the area strictly.

However, in the direction of Baoning, Zhang Xianzhong sent Li Dingguo this time, hoping that he would redeem himself for meritorious service and then send troops to seize Hanzhong again. However, Wu Sangui led his troops and successfully blocked the attack of Li Dingguo's army.

At this time, Li Dingguo's military level had not been fully utilized, and offensive operations such as attacking Hanzhong Prefecture in southern Shaanxi from Baoning Prefecture in northern Sichuan were not his strong point.

At this time, Gao Yigong had already organized the army in Chongqing. He also guessed that Zhang Xianzhong would lead his troops north, and began to follow Zhu Cilang's orders, continuing to bluff, loosening the outside and tightening the inside, and gradually taking over southeastern Sichuan.

Although Gao Yigong guessed Zhang Xianzhong's actions correctly, he was not 100% sure. He was very familiar with Zhang Xianzhong and was very worried that this was a trick of the other party.

After all, Zhang Xianzhong had been wanting to seize Chongqing for a long time. Therefore, he did not dare to withdraw troops from Chongqing for the time being, and directly led his troops north from Chongqing to attack Shunqing and Xuzhou.

On the battlefield, if both sides fully understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, then it will be difficult for any earth-shattering tricks to emerge in the so-called war.

In this case, there will naturally be no "surprise troops" appearing. The two sides will compete to make fewer mistakes and who has stronger overall strength to withstand mistakes.

Of course, Hauge and Wu Sangui advanced so rapidly in Hanzhong this time that Zhang Xianzhong's deployment in the north of Baoning Prefecture quickly collapsed due to the traitor's betrayal, and Chongqing, Xuzhou and other places in the south were also in unrest. Liu Wenxiu, whom he originally sent to resist the Ming army, retreated overnight. The pressure Zhang Xianzhong faced was even greater than that of Zhu Cilang.

As the news that Li Dingguo's army was defeated by Hauge's troops in Hanzhong reached Chongqing, Gao Yigong quickly sent a fast horse to deliver the news to Zhu Cilang's camp outside Wuchang City.

At the same time, as the camps of various Ming army units were completed, Zhu Cilang quickly shifted his focus back to the siege of Wuchang City, and fierce fighting quickly broke out between the Ming and Qing sides.

However, since the "fortifying the city and clearing the fields" strategy of Tunqi, Aljin and Tong Yanghe was almost fully implemented, the Ming army needed to obtain materials from Huangzhou or the mountainous areas east and south of Wuchang Prefecture to make siege equipment, and the preparations in various cities progressed slowly.

You know, it's not just the production cycle of siege equipment that is greatly extended. The manpower required, the food consumed, and the fodder needed for cattle, horses, mules and donkeys will all increase greatly.

With the reinforcement of the Qing army, the walls of Wuchang City were high and thick, and two earth walls were also built on the periphery. In addition to the barrier of the moat, the equipment needed for the siege was more demanding and took longer to prepare.

It can only be said that Zhu Cilang now has to face all the difficulties that the Qing army faced when they attacked the city again, and there is no way to escape it.

This is war!
However, in the decades since the Ming-Qing War, sieges of major cities typically took place over a period of years. While the morale of the Ming generals and hundreds of thousands of soldiers was damaged by delays in setting up camp and manufacturing equipment, the continuous victories did not affect the overall situation.

After all, after so many years of warfare, both the Ming and Qing armies had long since grown accustomed to months and years of attritional warfare. Before Zhu Cilang revealed the existence of an insider, no one in the Ming army had imagined that Wuchang could be taken in one fell swoop.

Of course, at this time, only the senior officials in the Ming army who attended the military meeting that day knew about the internal accomplice, and the soldiers in the army knew nothing about it.

As for the Qing army in Wuchang City, no one thought that they could easily repel the hundreds of thousands of Ming troops outside the city.

Although the Qing army was on edge, they were not immune to the threat of a fight. In a sense, the war had only just begun, and the Qing army still had ample patience.

On the eve of the war, the two army commanders, Zhu Cilang and Tunqi, kept inspecting the front lines, either caring for the soldiers or reviewing the army. Every move they made was to inspire and appease the morale of the troops.

During this period, Wang Tizhong in Wuchang City also made a decision quickly under the coordination of Wang Deren.

After Zhu Cilang expressed his tough attitude and willingness to reward, he no longer dared to bargain.

Moreover, he knew very well that if he did not rebel, Wuchang would most likely still be captured. But if he rebelled, Wuchang would surely be captured quickly. However, by that time, he would be a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty. The one who betrayed him before was Li Zicheng, and he had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty, not to mention that those rebels were also highly valued by His Majesty.

When Tunqi arrived at the Baoan Gate Tower where he was stationed, and after listening to Tunqi's instructions about the change of guard, he immediately sent two trusted generals, pretending to carry out Tunqi's orders, but in fact he wanted to spread the news as soon as possible through Wang Deren.

As soon as Tunqi saw him, he broke his usual habit and started praising him for his ability and showing great admiration for him. He even said that as long as he could defend Wuchang, he would have a bright future and promised to apply to the court for a promotion for him soon.

All these made Wang Tizhong feel deeply frightened. He knew that this was most likely just a means for Tunqi to win over people's hearts, but what if it wasn't?
Wang Tizhong respectfully sent Tun Qi off for inspection, and even waited until the other party disappeared on horseback at the end of Baoanmen Street before finally retracting his respectful gaze and turning away.

"Dad, Wang Deren said that His Majesty has sent someone over. Do you want to go and meet him in person?" The head servant under Wang Tizhong asked cautiously behind him.

Wang Tizhong narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, then nodded and said, "You stay here and continue to watch the city gate. The rest of you come with me. Damn Wang Deren, you hid such a big thing and even asked me hypocritically."

"Yes!" Wang Tizhong's head servant bowed immediately after receiving the order.

Zhu Cilang sent someone into the city, and he was still with Wang Deren. How could he not go to meet him? Otherwise, if things got out of hand, Wang Deren would probably commit insubordination.

Wang Tizhong quickly rode his horse to the Wangshan Gate Tower next to the Baoan Gate, under the pretext of patrolling, with dozens of guards.

However, on the Wangshan Gate Tower, he did not see the Jinyiwei representative sent by Zhou Shixian, but only saw Wang Deren who still had a smile on his face.

Moreover, Wang Deren has always been unwilling to be inferior to Wang Tizhong. Now as the hub of direct communication between the Ming Dynasty and Wang Tizhong, he will not miss the opportunity to show himself and control Wang Tizhong.

"General, there are so many people around now, it's inconvenient." Wang Deren pulled Wang Tizhong to the corner of the city wall and whispered.

"..." Wang Tizhong looked at Wang Deren, squinted his eyes, patted his shoulder, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is that person now?"

"Well." Wang Deren hesitated, but finally said: "General, now is really not the right time. If the Tartars find out..."

Wang Tizhong's face darkened immediately after hearing this, but he changed the subject and his tone became lighter:

"Wang Deren, I know you've been patient for a long time because of this matter, and now you won't have to endure it anymore, so you have to be extra careful. But if it weren't for me, could you have done this on your own?"

"General, that's not what I meant." Wang Deren quickly explained.

However, Wang Tizhong ignored his explanation and said, "When the time comes, with the support of His Majesty, we can kill as many as we want. Not a single Tartar in Wuchang will be able to escape, especially that damn Tunqi.

But before that, you must think clearly for me. If I don't support you now, even if I give you an order, do you think you can still command so many troops? Then, how can you kill the Tartars, how can you gain merit, and how can you kill Tunqi?"

"I am." Wang Deren gritted his teeth, even the veins on his forehead were visible, but in the end he could only suppress the anger in his heart and responded with gritted teeth.

Wang Tizhong nodded upon seeing this, then walked directly into the brick house on the tower. After sitting down, he slowly said:
"Neither you nor I can accomplish this alone. We must act together to distract the Tartars. Otherwise, it's hard to say whether we can succeed."

"Yes, yes." Wang Deren felt even more guilty after hearing that. He then winked at the head servant beside him, asking him to go and get the person quickly.

By this time, the representatives of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already infiltrated Wang Deren's household. Under Wang Deren's protection, the Eight Banners soldiers who were monitoring in other places and only took a look from time to time could not discover them at all.

That night, in Zhu Cilang's central military tent in front of the palace, east of Wuchang City, he had just received the information passed on by Wang Deren through the Jinyiwei.

Zhu Cilang straightened up and sat on the recliner. After reading it, he lay down again and closed his eyes to think for a while. Several contingency plans formulated by the Five Military Commandery for different situations in Wuchang City quickly came to his mind. Finally, he grinned and nodded secretly.

Tunqi's deployment in Wuchang City was very tight. If Wang Deren and Wang Tizhong had not been guarding one side alone and had strong control over their subordinates, they would not have been able to contact the Jinyiwei's liaison officer at all.

However, apart from contacting Wang Deren, the Jinyiwei's liaison officer was unaware of Tunqi's deployment in the city. The lack of intelligence also affected Zhu Cilang's accurate judgment of the situation in the city.

If he could not determine the deployment of the Qing army in the city, it would be difficult for him to judge whether the intelligence provided by Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren was true, let alone adjust the troops in advance to cooperate with their actions, or guard against their rebellion.

You know, Tunqi was also keeping an eye on Zhu Cilang's actions at this time. If he mobilized too many troops, he would easily be detected by the Qing army's scouts deployed on the city walls and outside. By then, with the help of the inside and outside, his plan would probably fail.

However, Zhu Cilang quickly opened his eyes, stood up from the recliner, and ordered Zhou Shixian, who was standing by and waiting for orders:
"The Qing army currently has very few troops stationed in Huguang, and even fewer Eight Banner soldiers in Wuchang City. They are stationed around the four city walls and between the nine city gates. It's impossible to deploy too many Eight Banner soldiers. At most, they can mobilize one or two thousand Eight Banner soldiers, and distribute them to each city gate, with only two or three hundred men."

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. The number of soldiers and horses of Wang Deren and Wang Tizhong is less than 20,000, and there are also Green Camp troops from Shanxi transferred from the north in the city. If these Green Camp troops and the Qing army go up to the city wall together, it will be difficult to deal with. I am afraid that Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren will not be able to cope with it." Zhou Shixian said immediately, feeling worried.

"Furthermore, according to the intelligence Wang Tizhong has sent us, Tunqi is very likely to adjust the deployment of troops on the various towers of Wuchang City, mixing them with other troops and constantly rotating them. This Tartar has always been wary of the Green Camp Army. Even if he trusts them, he only trusts the Green Camp troops from the north."

"This is what I'm most worried about."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but frown, then narrowed his eyes and paced back and forth in the tent. He couldn't let such a great opportunity slip away. He had to take Wuchang City as soon as possible, otherwise there would be endless trouble.

"If Wang Tizhong isn't lying, the plan for external cooperation must be advanced. Otherwise, once Tunqi begins mobilizing troops, the current channels for transmitting intelligence will be unusable. By then, communication between the inside and outside will be difficult, let alone starting an uprising and coordinating with the outsiders."

The intelligence system in the 17th century was still in a very primitive state due to the limitations of communication methods. In particular, intelligence could not always be timely and effective. Zhu Cilang had to rely on the pitifully little information to identify effective information and then make correct judgments.

Therefore, for many things, he could only make decisions based on the intelligence he had, constantly analyzing it and relying on other supporting evidence. Naturally, there was an element of gambling involved.

However, war is often a gamble. The key lies in how many chips you have in your hand, how to grasp the timing of using these chips, and how to maximize the value of the chips.

After hearing this, Zhou Shixian paused, rolled his eyes, and then continued:

"The mobilization of troops shouldn't be that fast. With such a large deployment, it's impossible to replace them all in a short period of time. Otherwise, the defense of Wuchang City will be in chaos."

"You underestimate the Manchus' oppression of Han generals. If Tunqi is truly determined to replace them, it would only take a word. There are thousands of Eight Banner soldiers in Wuchang City, and the various Green Camp armies are not under the same command. There are also many newcomers to the city. Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren's Green Camp are actually powerless to resist."

Zhu Cilang’s worries actually go beyond this. Now that the strength of the Qing army in the city has greatly increased, whether Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren dare to rebel is also a question he must always consider.

"However, for the sake of military morale, Tunqi shouldn't be too forceful. But no matter what, we must act quickly. Otherwise, all the Jinyiwei's efforts will be in vain."

"As for Wang Tizhong, I don't know if he is ready. Now it is suddenly launched. I am worried that they will have problems and ruin your majesty's plan." Zhou Shixian said worriedly.

"Given the current situation, there is no time for them to prepare properly. Tunqi is not ready yet, and before they change defense, this is the best opportunity.

Moreover, we already had a plan. Although the situation in the city has changed, Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren, these two old foxes, must have their own judgment if they want to solve such a problem. Otherwise, they would not be alive today!

After Zhu Cilang finished speaking, he turned his head and looked outside the tent, then shouted to Lin Changfu behind the tent:

"Changfu, immediately send someone to summon the commanders of each camp. In one hour, I will hold a military meeting. Except for those assigned to guard duty, all commanders of each camp must be present."

(End of this chapter)