Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 188 Decisive Victory

On both sides of the Baoan Gate Tower, large groups of Qing troops began to charge amidst frantic shouts of killing. In order to turn the tide of the battle, Tunqi directly sent out the Eight Banners Armored Soldiers as the vanguard.

“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!”

On the ladders on the left and right sides of the Baoan Gate Tower, several loud roars erupted again. Amidst the flashes of cannon flames, hundreds of small stone bullets flew out, making crackling sounds in the narrow space of the ladders.

In front of the Qing army's charging column, the Qing soldiers at the forefront were hit by shells fired in the thick smoke. The dozen or so people who were hit first were directly torn to pieces by the several-pound compressed bullets at such a distance. The ladders were once again covered with broken limbs and arms, and countless flesh and blood flew like raindrops towards the Qing soldiers behind.

Not only that, the dozen or so Eight Banners armored soldiers and Green Camp soldiers behind the shields were also directly hit hard. The helmets that were shattered by the stone bullets flew through the air and fell to the ground with the weapons and armor.

Under this round of fierce artillery attack, the offensive of the Qing army's charging soldiers was once again broken. The surviving soldiers were so frightened by the fierce attack of the Ming army that they retreated in panic as soon as the retreat bugle sounded.

Aljin looked very embarrassed when he saw that his attacking troops had been thwarted. He immediately sent Bayala to supervise the battle, but the huge casualties still forced the Qing soldiers to quickly flee from the city ladder in embarrassment.

Under the pressure of Tunqi, this was the third charge organized by Aljin. Most of the soldiers sent were Eight Banners armored soldiers, and even his most elite Bayara armored soldiers were supervising the battle.

These brave and fierce Eight Banners armored soldiers were very well-equipped. Each of them wore three layers of armor. The armored soldiers in the front row also held solid iron shields in their hands. However, these defenses were completely vulnerable to the indestructible artillery shells within a distance of fifty steps.

Wang Deren and Wang Tizhong rebelled at Wangshan Gate and Baoan Gate respectively. The Palace Army and the Dongting Lake Navy attacked from all sides. Tunqi had no choice but to leave troops garrisoned at each city gate.

However, he soon realized that the Ming army's attacks from the east and north directions were feints. Although the navy in the west of the city made the most noise, it was also the least capable of attacking the city. Except for the necessary troops left behind, he immediately mobilized all the reliable troops in the city.

Among them were more than 3,000 Eight Banners soldiers and more than 1,000 elite Green Camp soldiers brought by Wang Fuchen from Shanxi. These Green Camp soldiers were not from the same system as Wang Tizhong's troops, so for Tunqi, they could be completely trusted.

While Tunqi personally led the main force to attack Baoan Gate, he also sent thousands of elite troops to the two sides of the city walls to reinforce the two nearby towers. Naturally, he also thought that Zhu Cilang would find ways to escalate the war.

Although the chaotic situation had made Tunqi extremely anxious, years of experience on the battlefield had enabled him to make quick judgments and send out the two most critical troops to guard against surprise attacks by the Ming army.

In other words, as long as the Ming army could not capture the city walls on both sides for a while and there was no rebellion in other places, with his military strength, he could still stop the Ming army at Baoan Gate.

Of course, if he wanted to completely stabilize the situation, he had to capture the Baoan Gate before the main force of the Ming army in the south entered the city, and then redeploy along the city wall, or even recapture the two outer city walls.

But this is almost impossible. Tunqi can only take one step at a time and delay as long as possible.

The Ming troops who blocked his way along the streets dealt a heavy blow to his confidence. He had not expected that these Nikan soldiers would have such powerful fighting power in close combat.

The Eight Banners soldiers he sent to counterattack were unable to quickly defeat the Ming army. By the time the army bypassed the streets in the city and rushed to the Baoan Gate from the narrow side of the city wall, the army, which was originally so powerful, was in a state of decline.

But the situation was urgent and the main force of the Ming army could arrive at any time. Tunqi had no time to restore the team and could only order Aljin to immediately lead the vanguard armored soldiers who arrived first and had reorganized under the city tower to launch an attack on the Baoan Gate Tower.

Zhu Cilang asked all the armies to speed up their actions and not give Tunqi any chance to breathe. Tunqi naturally did the same, and he also did not intend to give Zhu Cilang any chance to breathe.

However, the central army in front of the palace relied on the defensive fortifications of the city tower and used artillery and muskets to attack fiercely from a high position. The elite Eight Banners armored soldiers under Aljin were defeated twice in a row at the narrow city stairs, and the troops attacking from the side of the city wall were also defeated several times.

After a chaotic battle, dozens of Qing soldiers from the Eight Banners were killed or wounded, and the Green Camp soldiers also suffered heavy casualties.

However, two of the cannons mounted on the city stairs in front of the palace soon went out due to overheating from repeated firing.

After repeated operations, the firing rate of the other four guns was greatly slowed down due to the thick smoke, and malfunctions occurred frequently during continuous use.

As Aljin listened to the fierce artillery fire from the city ladder gradually becoming smaller, his expression gradually relaxed. This was within his expectations. When it came to using artillery, he was considered an expert.

In fact, he had just ordered a fierce attack at the cost of his soldiers' lives in order to consume the Ming army's artillery. As long as the firing rate of these artillery pieces was greatly reduced and they could not exert their original lethality, then it would be possible for him to break through the city ladder.

Now, the situation in the city is very complicated. The entire Wuchang city is like a sieve with air leaks on all sides. In this era when battlefield communication basically relies on horse legs, let alone Aljin, even Tunqi does not fully understand the situation in other places.

After all, the battlefield situation is unpredictable. Many times, even the intelligence that has just been transmitted may have changed the battle situation described in the military newspaper due to the distance between the two places and delays on the road.

In other words, the real battlefield situation cannot be conveyed through military reports. Whether it is Zhu Cilang or Tun Qi, what they actually get is information that is difficult to distinguish between true and false, and they all need to make their own judgments.

However, Aljin was still full of confidence in the other three city walls. He did not hear any deafening shouts and cries of killing coming from all around, which meant that the defenders there had blocked the Ming army's attack.

Thinking of this, Aljin immediately ordered his Bayara soldiers to step forward and assist the officers of various units to reorganize their troops. This time he planned to personally supervise the battle and break through the Ming army's defense line at Baoan Gate in one fell swoop.

He led his troops to station in Wuchang for a longer time than in Tunqi. He knew very well that as long as he could recapture Baoan Gate and reorganize the troops in the city, it would be no problem to defend Wuchang for several months.

But the main force of the Ming army had already reached the city, so he had to fight quickly. After all, with the troops he had, there was still hope of retaking Baoan Gate.

“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!”

As the Qing army began a new charge, a loud explosion immediately sounded on the top of the city wall. Amidst the dazzling flames, large and small deadly shells accurately hit the Qing army that was crowded in the ladders and rushing up.

However, things happened just as Aljin had expected. The power of these artillery pieces was no longer as strong as before, and the firing speed had also dropped significantly. The Qing army's offensive paused slightly before quickly resuming.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!!"

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!”

Hundreds of muskets and bows and arrows were fired down from the top of the city wall. More than twenty of the charging Qing troops, whose formation had been broken by the artillery fire, fell down with screams.

At the same time, the Qing army under the city were shooting arrows and firing guns at the top of the city wall. The entire Baoan Gate Tower was filled with smoke and screams. People on both sides kept falling down, and there were bursts of fierce gunfire and flying arrows.

After seeing the combat effectiveness of the central army in front of the palace, Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren gained confidence. At this time, they were guarding several French cannons on the ladders on both sides. They personally took command and declared that they would live and die with the city tower.

Ma Zhenfeng had retreated to the top of the city wall at this time. He stood on the parapet inside the city wall, staring at the attacking Qing troops in front of him with a gloomy face.

Aljin's strategy was very effective, but the central army in front of the palace relied on the narrow city ladder, so although the Qing army had the advantage in manpower, it could not gain any advantage at all.

After all, there was no way to avoid the city ladder entrances with French cannons and general cannons on both sides. Even if Aljin personally supervised the battle, it was of no avail. The third fierce charge was quickly beaten back by the central army soldiers in front of the palace with the reinforcement of musketeers and archers.

"Admiral, the ladder entrance is in chaos now. Even if we replace the cannons with new ones, it is estimated that it will be difficult to play the same role as before. Now that our army has entered the city, should we try a new way of fighting?" Ma Zhenfeng saw Chang Denggui climbing up the city wall and hurriedly ran to him and asked.

With his level, he would not be able to come into contact with military generals like Chang Denggui on a normal day, but now is a special time, and the situation is naturally different.

Upon hearing this, Chang Denggui nodded and gave the order:
"The most important thing now is to open the city gates. The army outside has just assembled. You and Captain Li, tell the two Generals Wang at the city ladder entrance to wait until the Qing army gets closer before firing the cannon. After that, organize the spearmen to charge in. Use spears to engage the Tartars in close combat, repel them, and draw the Qing army's attention to the ladders on both sides."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren came up to him. They had just noticed the Qing army's troop movements on the side of the city ladder, and they nodded in agreement after hearing it.

Wang Deren was the first to speak in flattery:

"General Chang is truly a master at commanding troops. I will lead my servants and cooperate with the royal army to defend the city ladder entrance. The Tartars may be brave, but they are nothing compared to your Majesty's heavenly soldiers.

Now, my royal army is attacking the city from all sides. Wuchang City is filled with the sound of gunfire and cannonballs. It is impossible for Tunqi to withdraw troops to reinforce. With the few troops under the city, it will definitely collapse soon."

Wang Tizhong listened and agreed quickly, saying:
"I will obey Admiral Chang completely. Even if it means death, I will lead my men to defend the city ladder. Your Majesty's army is about to enter the city. If we hold on for a while longer, we will surely win."

After hearing this, Chang Denggui said nothing, but nodded slightly, and immediately ordered them to return to their respective positions. Although these two men had made contributions, they were not able to stand alone. In addition, seeing the powerful fighting force of the central army in front of the palace, they did not dare to act presumptuously at this time.

“Woo, woo, woo~~~”

Under the Baoan Gate Tower, a military bugle call was soon sounded again, and dense groups of Qing soldiers rushed out from the white smoke that filled the air. The musketeers and archers behind them were shooting arrows and firing guns towards the tower to cover the Qing soldiers who were charging again.

Large groups of Qing soldiers rushed forward one after another, howling and shouting as they rushed towards the entrance of the city ladder under the command of their respective officers. A fierce battle broke out again between the Ming and Qing armies.

At the same time, the Qing army launched another attack on the east and west walls, trying to repel the Ming army that was preparing to attack the two towers.

In such a close combat, even the central army in front of the palace could not quickly defeat those elite Eight Banners armored soldiers.

Under Chang Denggui's design, the Eight Banners soldiers commanded by Aljin himself finally withstood the artillery attack of the Ming army and quickly rushed up the city ladder.

The soldiers of the central army in front of the palace on both sides of the city wall kept attacking them. From time to time, Qing soldiers hit by lead bullets, heavy arrows and stones rolled to the ground and hit other soldiers behind them.

But under the supervision of Bayala's armored soldiers, the Qing soldiers did not retreat. They stepped on the bodies of the fallen armored soldiers and continued to rush forward.

When they rushed to a position about twenty steps away from the city ladder, the spearmen of the central army in front of the palace rushed out quickly, and the sharp spear heads kept stabbing, and the Qing soldiers who were charging in the front fell down in an instant.

When Aljin saw this scene, he was furious and ordered the Bayara soldiers of his own banner to continue to charge upwards, suppressing the Eight Banners soldiers. He did not believe that he could not break through these two ladders.

At this time, the Ming army on the city wall could no longer use artillery. The musketeers and archers on the top of the city were firing guns and arrows, and the soldiers on both sides of the city walls were throwing stones and wooden planks at the Qing army below the city. However, the Qing army continued to emerge, and the two sides soon engaged in a bloody hand-to-hand fight.

However, the Qing army no longer had a numerical advantage, but in the narrow city walls, especially the ladders, the Ming and Qing forces could not deploy their superior numbers. In order to draw the Qing army to the ladders, Chang Denggui quickly ordered his soldiers to feign defeat and retreat.

Seeing this, Aljin would never miss such an opportunity. He immediately dispatched hundreds of Eight Banners soldiers from the army that was originally guarding the city gate, hoping to recapture the Baoan Gate in one fell swoop.

“Woo~woo~woo~woo~~~”

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!!"

Three balls of red fireworks suddenly rose in the sky outside the Baoan Gate tower. The three balls of red fireworks that roared into the sky quickly exploded in the smoky air and instantly turned into three balls of gorgeous fireworks.

This was the signal that the army outside the city had broken through the two earthen walls and had assembled outside the city walls, signaling that they could enter the city. Upon seeing this, Chang Denggui immediately ordered the soldiers on the city wall to lower the moat bridge controlled by the gatehouse and raise the city gates. This was the fastest way for the main force, especially the cavalry, to enter the city.

At this time, outside the Baoan Gate Tower of Wuchang City, Zhu Cilang was standing on the edge of the moat on horseback, with the dragon flag fluttering in the wind and wisps of smoke drifting by.

In front of him were rows of swaying Ming helmets, and amidst the dense footsteps and deafening shouts of killing, the slanted spear blades flashed with cold light. The large group of soldiers in front of the palace quickly rushed into Baoanmen Yuecheng with the gates wide open.

"Hurry, hurry, everyone, follow up! Pay attention to your formation! Once you enter the city, charge directly! Anyone who retreats without orders will be beheaded on the spot!"

"After the 1,000th headquarters enters the city, the first division will charge to the right, and the second division will charge to the left!"

"After the 2000th headquarters entered the city, the First Division."

In front of the palace, officers of all ranks in the central army shouted at the top of their lungs one after another. Many people ran while howling, and their voices broke. At the same time, the shrill sound of bamboo whistles continued to ring out.

Not only that, after seeing the three fireworks, the army commanders in the east, north and west of the city began to launch more fierce artillery attacks, as if they were supporting the central army soldiers entering the city.

Zhu Cilang naturally also noticed the sound of gunfire coming from the direction of the other three city walls. He knew that this was the offensive launched by Chen Fu, Tian Jianxiu and Zheng Sen to cover the central army's operation to break the city. The purpose was to disrupt the morale of the Qing army that was still blocking the city in various places in the city.

Like Tunqi, he did not have enough knowledge of the military situation in various places. Although Tangma would deliver the latest military reports every hour, in this time of racing against time, he could only speculate on the evolution of the war situation based on the existing intelligence.

The sound of trumpets and military bugles soon rang out from the city gate. Soldiers in the team rushing into the city fell down from time to time, but they had practiced this many times in their daily lives. Basically, after being kicked a few times, they would immediately roll to the side to avoid affecting the main force entering the city.

At this time, the sky was already bright, and the soldiers' vision was greatly improved. Otherwise, the inevitable trampling and casualties during the march would have been even greater.

Amidst the dense footsteps, the soldiers of the 1,000th headquarters of the central army in front of the palace quickly passed through the Moon City and entered the courtyard of the city wall. They did not rush to the city wall, but rushed straight to the open gate of the city tower. The Qing army there had not reacted for a while. They had just attacked the city ladder, but they did not expect the reinforcements of the Ming army to arrive.

Zhao Zhengdong and Gu Defu were following the 1,000th headquarters at this time. They were transferred from Wangshan Gate. Because Wang Deren's surprise attack failed, their siege operation was not smooth, and they couldn't even break through the first earth wall.

At this time, the Qing army, which had just climbed the city ladder, was in a very chaotic command. The Qing army musketeers and archers in front of the city gate saw the large group of central army troops rushing in front of the palace, and they all fired in unison under the organization of the officers, but they had no artillery, and the attack effect of muskets and bows and arrows was very limited.

The charge horns of the central army in front of the palace sounded one after another, and the shouts of killing were one wave after another. In front of the Baoan Gate, officers at all levels of the Qing army shouted orders in panic, trying to stop the Ming army that was about to enter the city. Under the threat of Bayara's soldiers, the Qing soldiers could only bite the bullet and fight back.

At this time, the central army in front of the palace on the top of the city wall also put away their disguises and began to fight back. The Ming army musketeers and the Qing army musketeers on both sides of the city wall fired at each other. More than a dozen soldiers fell on both sides at the same time. Streams of blood spurted out from the armored soldiers who were shot, and the wounded soldiers lying on the ground kept wailing and screaming.

This caused the morale of the Qing soldiers, including the Eight Banners soldiers, who had gone through tremendous efforts and risked their lives to finally attack the city wall, to plummet, and they continued to fight out of inertia.

At the same time, the sound of dense footsteps and helmets and armor could be heard from the city gate. A large number of soldiers in the central army in front of the palace continued to charge, demonstrating their powerful strength.

The Qing army musketeers who were on high alert in front of the Baoan Gate soon continued to shoot at the surging Ming army. Many lead bullets hit the city wall directly, and the broken stones and bricks on it fell down and hit the helmets of the charging Ming army, making a tinkling sound, but this could not stop the charge of the central army in front of the palace.

On the top of the city wall, the Ming army's musketeers also began to fire volleys, attacking the Qing army from a high position. Their volleys provided excellent cover for the charging Palace Army's spearmen.

At the same time, the spearmen of the central army in front of the palace on the city wall also launched a major counterattack against the Qing army, and fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out on the upper and lower floors of the Baoan Gate Tower.

Tunqi and Aljin's wishful thinking was completely thwarted. The two groups of armored soldiers soon fought each other. The officers on both sides were howling wildly. The sound of musketry, the deafening shouts of killing and the collision of swords, guns and armor mixed together.

Under the fierce attack of the central army in front of the palace, the Qing army was completely exhausted, especially the two Qing troops that had finally captured the top of the city wall. They were retreating step by step, and black shadows kept falling from the narrow city ladder with screams, their bodies twisted and squirmed a few times, and they let out painful groans from their mouths.

The morale of the central army in front of the palace was high, and they charged and killed fiercely all the way. The Qing army's line was struggling to hold on, because Aljin had previously withdrawn troops to the ladders on both sides, and loopholes soon appeared in the defense line.

The fierce fighting between the two armies quickly spread towards the city. Gudefu stepped over the corpses that had just fallen on the ground, shouting and commanding his soldiers, leading them to continue forward.

They need to directly defeat the Qing army here in order to truly break the Qing army's blockade and ensure the safety of the entire Baoanmen Tower.

Zhao Zhengdong was also shouting loudly at his soldiers to charge. He looked to the north and saw countless helmets and swords and guns jumping back and forth on the front line. The soldiers at the front were shouting and fighting with the Qing army.

Those Qing army armored soldiers, whether they were from the Eight Banners or the Green Camp, soon could not hold out in the face of the most ferocious spearmen in the central army in front of the palace, and they retreated step by step. Some Green Camp soldiers even ran to the alleys on the side in panic.

Those elite Eight Banners soldiers were originally on par with the veterans of the Palace Front Army, but a number of Green Camp troops were also deployed in their ranks, and the final result was collapse in one place and everywhere.

At this time, not only the hundreds of Qing troops left behind at the foot of the city, but also the Qing troops on the city walls had been completely defeated. The central army in front of the palace no longer had any concerns about the frontal attack, so Chang Denggui immediately began to deploy heavy troops and advance to both sides.

Zhu Cilang quickly dismounted and climbed up the city wall via the ladder of the city wall. After his army achieved a decisive victory, he finally entered the city and formally met with Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren, two Green Camp generals who had defected.

At this time, the city of Wuchang, filled with killing and thick smoke, suddenly appeared before him.

At this time, fires were not only on Baoanmen Street, but also in many places in Wuchang City. However, at this time, the fires in most places were not large, and they could be put out quickly after clearing out the remaining Qing troops in the city.

(End of this chapter)