Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 208 Below Boryeong City
The North Barracks training ground of Yuezhou Prefecture was densely packed with nearly 10,000 fully armed and well-disciplined soldiers of the Palace Front Army, their rows of armor reflecting the dazzling morning light.

The combat soldiers, musketeers, cavalrymen, and some cavalrymen equipped with muskets in the central army in front of the palace all had uniforms of different colors, especially the musketeers' red tasseled helmets, which were the most spectacular when they were deployed.

At the same time, on the high reviewing platform in the north, a large golden tasseled umbrella with carved dragons and phoenixes was very eye-catching. Zhu Cilang was wearing a gilded battle armor, standing under the umbrella with his head held high and his chest puffed out, his eyes firm. Behind him were a group of senior generals of the Palace Army and the Right Town.

Under the command of the Five Military Commandery, the day of swearing in the oath to march finally arrived, and Zhu Cilang was in a very good mood. He turned his head to look at the front of the army, where officers of all levels were making final preparations for the march.

Zhu Cilang quickly looked around, and then turned his gaze to Chang Denggui, Lin Changfeng, Liu Tichun, Hao Xiaozhong and others beside him. These are now among the best generals under his command. Each of them is capable of standing on their own and is loyal.

Regardless of the era, for the military, only continuous victories can bring high morale and the belief in victory, which in turn is the foundation for the next victory. The same is true for the generals who lead the troops. Only continuous victories on the battlefield can earn their loyalty.

As the military bugle sounded, nearly 10,000 musketeers, combat soldiers, and cavalrymen of the palace front army stood in formation on the parade ground of the military camp north of Yuezhou City. In the red, white, and black formations, the flags were neatly arranged, the armor was shiny, and the swords and spears were sharp.

Zhu Cilang quickly rode his horse and inspected the army formation with a group of generals to the sound of loud drums and trumpets. Looking at the soldiers with neat appearance and excellent spirit, he felt a surge of pride in his heart.

After inspecting the army's formation, Zhu Cilang and his generals returned to the platform. After hearing the bugle call, the soldiers in the several phalanxes below immediately began to practice battlefield attack drills according to the officers' command.

On the wide parade ground, nearly 10,000 soldiers formed a long front. Most of the musketeers were in the front row of the phalanx, standing in three horizontal rows. There was also a thick phalanx of turtledove-foot muskets on each wing, responsible for providing cross-fire cover on the flanks.

In the center of the phalanx were rows of spearmen and sword and shield soldiers, who were the main force in close combat. The heavily armored cavalry on both wings were responsible for mobile cover. Among them were also several teams of cavalry armed with muskets, which were new types of troops established by Zhu Cilang.

Under the command of officers at all levels, the soldiers of the Palace Army advanced in a highly orderly manner while maintaining their line, and kept shouting "Ten Thousand Victories". The momentum was so great that all the generals, including Zhu Cilang, were excited.

Nearly half of these soldiers are veterans, and all the new recruits have met the training requirements of the Palace Front Army. With perfect logistical supplies and excellent equipment, their combat effectiveness is definitely not comparable to any previous Ming army.

Of course, on the training ground, apart from the more magnificent momentum and sophisticated equipment, there is actually no difference between the Palace Front Army and other powerful armies. The real ability can only be seen in the battle.

You have to understand that a soldier's organization, training, battlefield skills ingrained into their muscles after countless training sessions, and even the demands of military discipline all profoundly impact their combat effectiveness. At the same time, it was these invisible factors that truly widened the gap between the Palace Front Army and the rest of the army.

Zhu Cilang was full of confidence as he looked at the army in front of him. Under the best material conditions in the entire Ming Dynasty, the Palace Front Army had already opened up a considerable gap with other armies of this era through professional, regular and standardized training.

The only thing missing now is actual combat testing and the formal formation of the "Xiaoqi Army" so that it can take charge. By then, the Palace Front Army will become the strongest army capable of both offense and defense, combining infantry, cavalry, and artillery!

After watching the military drill, Zhu Cilang stood on the platform and personally read out the "Declaration of Departure" for the Northern Expedition to the nearly 10,000 soldiers below. At the end, he suddenly drew the sword at his waist and shouted loudly to the soldiers below:

"Let's go!"

At this time, the soldiers in front of the palace who had just finished the drill were all very excited. When they heard Zhu Cilang's shout, their emotions were immediately ignited. They immediately followed suit and shouted:

"Your Majesty is mighty and powerful, the Ming Dynasty will surely win! Your Majesty is mighty and powerful, the Ming Dynasty will surely win!"

"Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!"

……

Soon, at the harbor west of Yuezhou City, the lake was covered with masts like a forest. Thousands of troop transport ships of the Dongting Lake Navy were anchored in the harbor. All the ships near the shore had brown wooden ladders extended out, and teams of soldiers were boarding the ships, along with bags of food and boxes of supplies.

In the harbor, several tall ships slowly sailed out, with Zhu Cilang on the flagship. A huge dragon flag was hung high on the bow, fluttering in the wind. Whenever other troop ships passed by, the soldiers would salute on the deck and shout "Long live the victory", which greatly boosted morale.

Zhu Cilang stood in the helm tower of the ship, the river breeze blowing on his face. He raised his head and looked to the north. The vast Dongting Lake stretched as far as the eye could see, with the water and sky connected, which was a spectacular sight.

"Dorgon, Ajige, Dodo, Hauge, Jirgalang, Shunzhi, just wait, I'm coming!" Zhu Cilang looked at the northern sky and said secretly in his heart.

At this time, not only Yuezhou, Hanyang, Wuchang and other ports on both sides of the Yangtze River, but also many river ports at the mouth of the Han River have become logistics bases and military stations for various units of the Ming army. Zhu Cilang vigorously built along the coasts of Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, and built a large number of military supply warehouses at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Han River, stockpiling military supplies and food needed for the Northern Expedition.

Of course, now that the army is setting out, all kinds of ships are mainly used to transport soldiers, while after the war begins, they will mainly carry weapons, ammunition, food and horse fodder.

In this era, water transportation is the most convenient and economical mode of transportation for long-distance transport, especially on large rivers. As long as there is a favorable wind, ships can travel day and night at a high speed.

At the same time, the navy fleet led by Zhang Mingzhen and Huang Fei also began to traverse the Liaohai Sea, with thousands of ships competing to set off; Chen Fu and Gao Yigong dispatched troops to Hanzhong, Baoning and other places, Li Dingguo's advance troops entered Chengdu Prefecture, and Liu Wenxiu was bluffing in Shunqing with great fanfare.

Furthermore, Li Guo led the main force of the Loyal Camp to surround Xiangyang City. The Qing troops inside panicked and launched several surprise attacks, but were repelled each time. The three Wang Guangen brothers continued to harass the area around Yunyang, distracting the Qing troops.

Faced with such a war situation, the Qing army was completely passive in every aspect. As the situation has become today, on the surface, both sides occupy half of the country, but the Qing court is already at a disadvantage in terms of morale, mobilization capabilities, and food and military supplies reserves.

This was extremely obvious on the battlefield. Two years ago, the Ming army was stretched thin everywhere. If the main force of the Eight Banners of the Qing court was not limited and not adapted to the southern climate, Zhu Cilang would probably not have won so easily.

Now, no matter which front it is on, the Qing army is on the defensive everywhere. In order to prevent the Ming army from moving north from the sea and the east at the same time and attacking from both sides, Dorgon had to leave a considerable number of Eight Banners Army in Shandong and Tianjin.

But for Zhu Cilang, these practices of dispersing the Qing army and weakening the strength of the latter's cavalry corps did not actually affect his concentration of the main force at all.

Moreover, Zhu Cilang could fully foresee that as long as the Qing army was defeated again this time, regardless of whether it suffered heavy losses or not, there would be no chance of turning the tide of the war. He just lacked war horses and time, so his cavalry and combat soldiers had not been expanded to the best condition for the Northern Expedition.

However, his source of troops was almost endless, while the Qing Dynasty would find it difficult to replenish its core Eight Banners soldiers in a short period of time if it lost them. The political impact of its previous two failed southern expeditions and its weak military strength had gradually become apparent at this time.

As the various banners suffered heavy casualties, military supplies were in short supply, and resources were insufficient, the Manchu nobles continued to lead extravagant lives and even began to exploit the bannermen on a large scale. The lives of the lower classes of the Manchus became increasingly difficult, and their morale was even lower.

Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi, Kong Youde and other princes, even the Green Camp Army and the gentry in various places, all began to flirt with the Ming Dynasty and have secret dealings with it. If many old baoyi in northern Zhili had not already gained new baoyi because of the raising of their flags, and were not tied to the core interests of the Qing Dynasty, I am afraid that even they would have been unable to put in any effort.

The situation outside the Great Wall was even worse. The failure of the two southern expeditions, especially the rapid capture of Wuchang City by the Ming army, completely destroyed the military prestige that the Qing army had built up over the years.

Over the past year or so, the news of the Eight Banner Army's heavy losses, fueled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has spread throughout the entire Mongolian grasslands along with caravans and the movement of people. Various Mongolian tribes and the northern part of the Qing Dynasty's ruled area were once again harassed by the Mongols.

You must know that both the Mongolian tribes on the grassland and the Kingdom of Korea were originally forced by the military power of the Qing court to bow down and pay tribute to seek peace. Now that the Qing court has lost its only support, how could they tolerate the other side's brutal oppression?

In just one year, many Mongolian tribes had changed their attitude towards the Qing court. Even when Dorgon used tribute to forcibly requisition war horses, 30 to 40 percent of the tribes simply did not pay tribute.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Qing court had insufficient military forces in Liaodong and could no longer send troops to Korea, Korea had almost severed all official ties with the Qing court and re-established diplomatic relations with the Dingwu court as a monarch-subject relationship.

You must know that the Li Dynasty originally called itself "Little China". Even until now, before they formally established relations with the Dingwu court, they were still using the Chongzhen calendar. Now that the situation has changed, how could they possibly submit to a semi-slave regime like the Qing Dynasty?
Of course, the situation facing the Qing court had not yet collapsed to the point of being beyond repair. Those princes of the imperial clan, who were experienced in the battlefield, had not yet died in battle or from illness. Han officials such as Hong Chengchou seemed to be loyal and determined to serve the Qing court to the end.

Moreover, Dorgon's methods should not be underestimated. He has been constantly strengthening his strength. Although his prestige has been affected by the unfavorable situation on the front line, his power is still very solid.

Of course, political maneuvers were often just icing on the cake; Dorgon ultimately had to win on the battlefield to maintain his power. While the Qing dynasty was currently peaceful, it was already fraught with danger. If the front lines were defeated again, Dorgon would likely be torn apart by five horses.
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While Zhu Cilang was secretly leading his army to swear an oath to go to war, on a small hill about five or six miles west of Baoning City in northern Sichuan, Chen Fu was conducting reconnaissance with hundreds of cavalrymen, accompanied by Liu Wenxiu, the vanguard commander of the army.

Baoning City is located southwest of Hanzhong City, blocking the passage from northern Sichuan to southern Shaanxi. Its geographical location is very important. It echoes the Hanzhong Prefecture City from a distance, like a nail, firmly stuck in the northern gate of Sichuan.

Since the Ming army recruited the remnants of the Western Army and gained a foothold in southern Sichuan, Chen Fu and Gao Yigong, like Wu Sangui, sent a large number of scouts to scout the enemy situation. The situation became increasingly intense during this period, with scouts and cavalry squads from both sides fighting repeatedly here, and soldiers died in battle almost every day.

A few miles away from this hill, there was an endless stream of military supply carts, ox carts, and donkey carts. Countless soldiers emerged from the mountains and filed into the temporary military camp. Their formations were neat and their armor was bright, and it was obvious at a glance that they were a strong army.

After Liu Wenxiu led his troops to complete the initial test, Chen Fu counted the days and began the formal march. At this time, he was no longer worried that the Qing army would notice his actions. Instead, he was afraid that the other side would not notice it, and the news that the main force of the Ming army appeared in Baoning would not reach Dorgon's ears.

"Admiral, the Qing army's main commander in Baoning City is Wu Sangui's general, Wu Guogui. He's a skilled fighter. I fought him before at Phoenix Mountain. He was very difficult to deal with." Liu Wenxiu pointed to Baoning City in the north and said word by word:

"The defenders of Baoning City, if you include the Eight Banners Army and the Green Camp Army, should have more than 8,000 combat-capable soldiers. Among them, the Green Camp's commander is Liu Fangming, who is also capable of fighting and is not a useless person."

In order to support other fronts, Dorgon almost drained the Green Camp of Shaanxi and Gansu. Now, in order to ensure the safety of Hanzhong, even Liu Fangming has been sent out, and many Green Camp troops have also been sent to Hanzhong City. The main general of the Qing army in Hanzhong City is Aljin, who is also an experienced veteran.

"What other information has the Jinyiwei sent over?" Chen Fu withdrew his gaze from Baoning City and looked at Liu Wenxiu again and asked.

He now admires Liu Wenxiu very much. This commander-in-chief of the Western Army is completely different from the arrogant Li Dingguo. He is very cooperative with the recruitment, is keen to learn new things, and is proficient in civil administration. He can be said to be both civil and military.

Of course, Li Dingguo showed greater talent in this area, especially in military affairs. However, he did not respect Chen Fu and had always been reserved about the Ming Dynasty, so Chen Fu naturally did not focus on training him.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenxiu immediately clasped his hands and said:

"The secret report sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard stated that the Qing army has recently been sending reinforcements to Hanzhong City. Most of these new soldiers are from the Eight Banner Army, with a significant number of baoyi soldiers as well. They all appear to be veteran baoyi soldiers with considerable combat capabilities."

"If Yue Le holds on tight in Shaanxi, he'll have at least 40,000 to 50,000 combat-ready soldiers. The combined garrisons of Baoning and Hanzhong, two key cities, only number around 20,000. This doesn't make sense! If he wants to hold on and attrition the enemy, he should have more troops in Baoning and Hanzhong. Although Wu Guogui and Aljin are veterans, and Liu Fangming is also quite capable, how long can Baoning hold out if my army cuts off access to the two prefectures?"

After hearing this, Chen Fu frowned slightly and continued, "Could it be that he still wants to hold on to Xi'an?"

The military situation was beyond expectations, and Chen Fu was unable to figure out the reason for a while.

After all, Ding Guodong was nothing to be feared. The Qing army had plenty of time to prepare food, fodder, and ammunition, and to reinforce the defenses of Baoning and Hanzhong. If there were sufficient food, fodder, and troops, it would be difficult for him to capture the two strong cities. It would take at least one or two years, or even longer.

Could it be that Dorgon had determined that Your Majesty's real direction of the Northern Expedition was Xiangyang and Nanyang without any inducement or deception?

If this were really the case, he would probably laugh out loud in his dreams. After all, if Baoning and Hanzhong were taken in one battle, the entire Shaanxi and Gansu region would be completely defenseless except for Xi'an City. The Qing Dynasty's deployment in Shaanxi would soon collapse.

However, after Chen Fu thought about it more deeply, he immediately rejected his idea. How could such a good thing happen in the world?

"The Qing army has tens of thousands of troops in Shaanxi and Gansu. Wu Sangui's troops are powerful and have suffered almost no casualties. The Green Camp troops in Shaanxi and Gansu are also quite powerful. Could it be that Yue Le is trying to ambush us?"

After hearing what Chen Fu said, Liu Wenxiu immediately expressed his own guess.

"Although there is a direct official road from Baoning to Hanzhong, the mountains are high and the roads are dangerous. If we march quickly, we will easily be ambushed."

After hearing this, Chen Fu frowned for a moment. The western battlefield was too important. If the pre-planned progress was not made, the entire Northern Expedition strategy would be difficult to advance.

Although Yue Le and Wu Sangui were unable to go south to expand their victory due to lack of manpower, without sufficient war horses, it was difficult for the Tianqi Army and the Xiaoqi Army to make breakthroughs in Henan and Shandong.

"Your Majesty, has there been any military intelligence received from Huguang?" Chen Fu thought for a moment and asked again.

This is the ability he has fully understood through countless situation deductions. Only by analyzing the local right and wrong from the overall situation can he avoid being blinded by one thing and ensure that the results of the analysis are unbiased.

Liu Wenxiu recalled for a moment, then continued:

"Your Majesty has now sent troops to besiege Xiangyang. The vanguard of the Palace Army has arrived at the city and recaptured the four prefectures and counties south of Nanyang Prefecture. Ma Shixiu's troops have entered Tang County, Xinye and other places. The Green Camp gentry in these cities responded quickly, and many places south of Nanyang Prefecture were quickly recovered.

Furthermore, the Dongting Lake Navy is now deployed in these areas, and the main force of our army has already gathered on the south bank of the Han River. However, His Majesty is still waiting for news from us and has not yet fully revealed his true strength."

"Nanyang City is the gateway from Huguang to the north and into Henan. The Qing army has been operating there for over a year. The city walls are high and thick, and Gao Di, a fierce general from the Green Camp, is stationed there. Even the central army in front of the palace would find it difficult to capture it directly in a short period of time."

After hearing this, Chen Fu was speechless for a while. His position was crucial and the situation was extremely complicated, which made it impossible for him to fight freely, nor did he dare to fight freely easily.

"Your Majesty, how far has the navy that you originally deployed to harass the Qing army from the sea progressed?" Chen Fu asked again. He needed more accurate military intelligence before he could make a judgment.

"In addition to the Dongting Lake navy, His Majesty also ordered Lin Changfeng to lead 3,000 cavalry to drive out the Qing troops outside Nanyang. He also deployed two battalions of soldiers to garrison south of Zhenping County and southeast of Baidong Mountain. However, the main force of the army is still in Xiangyang and has no intention of attacking Nanyang."

"Have Zhang Mingzhen and Huang Fei taken any action in Denglai and Liaohai?" Chen Fu asked again. He needed to confirm his own progress to infer the actions of the Qing army.

"Zhang Mingzhen and Huang Fei." Liu Wenxiu recalled it in his mind and quickly continued:

"We haven't received any intelligence on this matter, but according to the Five Military Commandery, they should have each led a naval force north and are currently operating in the Liao Sea. However, the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, so this is probably impossible to confirm."

"There won't be any surprises at sea, unless there are big storms." Chen Fu raised his eyebrows slightly after hearing this, and then said:
"There's nothing wrong with these deployments. The Qing army's current strength is no longer strong, and a naval battle is simply impossible. If Dorgon had guessed your majesty's plan, he would have reacted."

"I think the Qing army is unaware of our actions, which is why they're acting so slowly. Although the main force of the Tartars hasn't been defeated yet, and Wu Sangui and his ilk won't defect just yet, they're certainly keeping their guard up."

Liu Wenxiu paused, then slowly analyzed, "In the past, the Qing army's actions were all because they bribed traitors to understand our situation, which allowed them to deploy troops with such dexterity. But the situation is different now. They don't have that intelligence, so it's normal that they haven't mobilized yet."

After hearing this, Chen Fu squinted his eyes and pondered for a while. Finally, he seemed to agree with Liu Wenxiu's statement and nodded.
"You are right. If Your Majesty fights with all his might, the Qing army will inevitably be completely contained in Nanyang and other places, or even defeated.

Moreover, under such circumstances, it is very likely that Shang Kexi, Kong Youde, Gao Di and others would raise their flags and rebel. Many of Wang Tizhong and Wang Deren's men, who were defending the fortified city, have surrendered to Your Majesty, let alone them.

It seems I have overestimated these Tartars and thought too much!"

Chen Fu said this, and immediately turned his horse's head, whipped it and urged it to go down the mountain. He said to Chen Fu:
"In that case, we just need to take care of our own route and capture Baoning and Hanzhong as soon as possible. If Yue Le and Wu Sangui really dare to send troops to ambush us, then we will fight them and see who can outlast the other."

Seeing this, Liu Wenxiu quickly spurred his horse to catch up. He didn't quite understand Chen Fu's transformation and the overall battle situation behind it, but now he had no choice but to say "yes" and catch up.

(End of this chapter)