Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 212 Finally here
More than 30 miles southwest of Nanzhao City, on a hillside on the north bank of the Baihe River, Zhu Cilang was holding a "clairvoyant" imitated by the "Yingtian Weapon Bureau" and observing the two teams of scouts fighting in the valley ahead.

To a certain extent, Nanyang-Xiangyang is located in a basin with a wide gap in the northeast direction. The rivers flowing down from several mountains north of Nanyang eventually converge in Xiangyang, and then flow into the Yangtze River through the Han River.

Such terrain naturally could not stop the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty, but it provided a certain amount of cover, forcing Dorgon to be careful when heading south, otherwise he would easily fall into an ambush by the Ming army.

For this reason, before leading his troops south, Dorgon ordered the Eight Banners garrison in Kaifeng Prefecture to send a large number of scouts south for reconnaissance. Fierce scout battles broke out from time to time with the Ming army, which had almost controlled the entire Nanyang Prefecture at that time.

At this time, the nine scouts under the command of Liu Tichun were fighting a fierce battle with the seven scouts sent by the Qing army in the valley ahead.

Both sides were scouting in this valley. When Zhu Cilang led the imperial camp to patrol here and discovered them, the two teams were already fighting fiercely.

Both sides were experienced cavalrymen, and after several rounds of fighting, the winner was still undecided. Although the Eight Banners Cavalry were slightly inferior in numbers, their combat effectiveness was not bad, and they could still withstand this gap.

"Changfu, send a few people to capture all those Tartars. If they resist fiercely, just leave one or two alive." Zhu Cilang held up a telescope, looked at the battle situation in front of him, and slowly spoke and gave the order.

These Qing scouts were very fierce. The scouts of the Palace Army had fought with them many times, but had no upper hand at all. From the interrogations of several captured Tartars, it was found that most of them were wild Tartars from outside the Great Wall.

In addition to being extremely strong in individual combat and having great endurance, these Tatars are the same group that Chen Fu encountered in the Jialing River Valley, and are particularly good at skirmish fighting.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lin Changfu received the order and immediately turned around to instruct a general behind him.

The latter bowed and listened to the order respectfully, then immediately jumped on his horse and rushed down the mountain path with a dozen cavalrymen, intending to go around the rear of the Qing scouts and launch an outflanking attack from there.

"Your Majesty, the Qing army's scouts have been increasing in number lately. It seems Dorgon can no longer sit still!" Chang Denggui withdrew his gaze from a distance and said excitedly, "The Jinyiwei has also sent back news from Beijing that the main force of the Eight Banners has begun to move."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang finally put down the "Clairvoyance" in his hand, nodded, and said:

"There are still hundreds of thousand-jin cannons in the camp that have not been deployed to the battlefield. If I were not trying to delay for a while and wait for Dorgon to come to rescue, Gao Di, Lekedehun, Shang Kexi and other guys would not be as free as they are now."

At this time, Dorgon hoped for a decisive battle, while Zhu Cilang wanted to delay Dorgon to prevent the main force of the Qing army from rushing to rescue when Chen Fu attacked Hanzhong and Xi'an.

He had already chosen the place to lure Dorgon south, which was in the river valley of the large basin between Nanyang and Xiangyang. There were hilly slopes nearby and towering mountains in the distance, as well as dozens of large and small rivers blocking the way, making it very suitable for the army to entangle and pull.

"The Qing army now has only 30,000 soldiers and horses in Xiangyang and Nanyang City. Your Majesty is personally leading the siege. I'm afraid Dorgon would not dare not come!" Chang Denggui was not worried about Dorgon coming. What he was worried about was that Dorgon was too cautious. The terrain near Nanyang could not trap the main force of the Qing army.

"Lakedehun suddenly went out of the city for a surprise attack a few days ago. Didn't he recapture several lost Houtai outside the city and catch Li Guo off guard? In a few days, I will dispatch another 10,000 troops south to reinforce Xiangyang Prefecture City, and Dorgon will be able to make up his mind." Zhu Cilang laughed coldly.

Lekedehun and Shang Kexi were both good at fighting, especially Shang Kexi, who was particularly good at raiding. However, Li Guo was best at luring the enemy deep into their territory and intercepting their pursuers. If he had not deliberately let the enemy reveal their weaknesses, Shang Kexi and Lekedehun would have had no chance of a successful raid.

"Your Majesty is wise," Chang Denggui said, cupping his hands. "If Dorgon knew this news, he would not miss such a great opportunity. Otherwise, he would have to wait until next year."

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang just smiled slightly, then raised the telescope in his hand and looked at the two teams of scouts who were confronting and fighting each other, and then turned his gaze to the valley farther away, where the cavalry of the imperial camp had appeared.

"Has Yue Le made any moves in Hanzhong these days?"

"Over in Shaanxi, the military reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard are similar to what Admiral Chen's scouts have uncovered. Yue Le has secretly concentrated the main Shaanxi army in Hanzhong and has also recruited a large number of civilians from Xi'an and other places. He seems to be preparing to further strengthen Hanzhong's defenses. It seems that he is truly planning to withdraw his troops back to Hanzhong."

"Although Baoning City is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it is still far inferior to Hanzhong." Zhu Cilang listened and then smiled. These things were within his expectations.

His original plan was to harass cities such as Luoyang in Henan Prefecture, stimulate Dorgon, and make him dispatch the garrison in Shaanxi to the south to reinforce as soon as possible, weakening his defense in Hanzhong, thus creating sufficient conditions for the Western Route Army to break through Hanzhong.

"Your Majesty, if Dorgon doesn't hurry, he won't be able to lead his main force south to rescue us within two months. By then, even if we retreat to Xiangyang, we might not be able to hold out. If we go further south, Dorgon will definitely not follow us. Wouldn't that mean all our efforts will be wasted?"

Chang Denggui immediately said, "If we fight the Qing army head-on on the plains between Nanyang and Xiangyang, I'm afraid we won't gain any advantage and will only be able to hold out for a month at most. If we don't hold the Qing army back in Nanyang and Xiangyang by then, if Chen Fu launches an attack, he will definitely not be able to win."

Zhu Cilang's plan of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west was actually quite risky. He couldn't move too slowly or too quickly. He wanted to hold back the main force of the Qing army in Nanyang-Xiangyang, but in order to avoid heavy losses to the army, he couldn't hold it off for too long.

From Dorgon's perspective, Zhu Cilang was determined to launch a northern expedition, so Tongguan and Luoyang were in great danger. In order to finally have a decisive battle in Nanyang, he even had to send Yue Le south in advance to delay the main force of the Palace Army.

"Then we must give Dorgon greater confidence in victory, otherwise he will definitely not send the Shaanxi army to Tongguan, or even Henan, and tie our army in Nanyang Prefecture." Zhu Cilang narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice.

At this time, the cavalry of the imperial camp had already joined the battlefield. With an absolute advantage in manpower, the Ming army finally killed all the wild Tartars from outside the pass. However, one of Liu Tichun's cavalrymen was killed and two were injured.
.
On the other hand, after appeasing Jirgalang, Dorgon and Hong Chengchou quickly began the final preparations for the army's march south.

Dorgon and Ajige will lead the main forces of the Eight Banners of Northern Zhili south in batches. The mobilization of food and grass needed for the army's southward war has already begun.

However, in order to prevent the Ming army's spies from noticing the army's movement, Dorgon and Hong Chengchou planned to divide the more than 70,000 Manchu, Han, and Mongolian Eight Banners soldiers who were heading south, as well as thousands of baoyi soldiers and more than 30,000 Green Camp soldiers, a total of more than 100,000 troops, into several batches and secretly sneak into Henan.

During the period when the army began to move, Dorgon once again strengthened the scouting and reconnaissance of the valley north of Nanyang Prefecture, sending a signal to Zhu Cilang that reinforcements were coming but he was still hesitant. The purpose was to make Zhu Cilang delay the attack on Nanyang City so that he could cooperate with the enemy from inside and outside.

"Emperor Ming should have sent troops from Nanyang to rescue Xiangyang City by now, but he may transfer these reinforcements back to Nanyang soon. Emperor Ming must think that I have been deceived by him." Dorgon looked at the military report delivered to him, quite proud.

He had originally ordered Lekedehun and Shang Kexi to launch an aggressive surprise attack in order to create this opportunity for Zhu Cilang to confuse him. Only in this way could he make the other side underestimate the enemy and think that everything was under control.

"However, there are still tens of thousands of soldiers and horses capable of fighting in Nanyang City. They are not short of weapons, armor, gunpowder, and food. Apart from the low morale, there is no difference from before the Ming army besieged the city. The Ming army's artillery is so powerful, but they didn't attack the city. It is really incredible." Hong Chengchou said worriedly.

"You mean, as long as we go south to rescue and support Nanyang and Xiangyang, we will definitely fall into Emperor Ming's trap?" Dorgon asked with narrowed eyes and a stern face.

He had planned for so long and persuaded Jirgalang, Hauge, Ajige, Duoduo and others, but not to hear this.

Hong Chengchou knew what Dorgon was thinking. He actually hoped that the army could defeat the Ming army in the Nanyang-Xiangyang area. This battle could be said to determine the life and death of the Qing Dynasty, and he did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

"That's not what I meant. I just think this matter is a little strange. Emperor Ming is besieging but not attacking, as if he is waiting for the prince to come to the rescue. But does he have the strength to do so? Or maybe Emperor Ming has no intention of fighting this battle at all, and is just trying to lure the prince south, then withdraw his troops directly, hoping to waste our time in the Nanyang-Xiangyang area."

Dorgon couldn't help but frowned after hearing this, and then asked Hong Chengchou:
"That's not entirely unreasonable. Although the Ming Emperor is arrogant, he's become much more restrained after the cavalry battle six months ago. If I were to march directly south, I wouldn't be able to hold onto the main force of the Ming army and would be in a passive position. Pursuing them would be a mistake, and not pursuing them would be even more of a mistake."

"If the two armies of Xiangyang City and Nanyang City attack at the same time, how many Ming troops can be held back?" After hearing what Hong Chengchou said, Ajige also became worried.

He was more confident than Dorgon and had no doubt that he could defeat the main force of the Ming army. Now he was worried that Zhu Cilang would suddenly withdraw the Ming army as Hong Chengchou said, and then he would be stuck in a dilemma.

This was also Dorgon's biggest concern. He and Ajige had gathered almost all the combat-capable troops in Beijing, but they didn't exceed a hundred thousand men. They had to send some troops to protect their own interests. If they didn't achieve the expected results during this southern expedition, his position would be in jeopardy. However, if Zhu Cilang fell for his trick, he could defeat him in one battle. So Dorgon didn't hesitate at all and immediately sent all his troops to the battlefield.

"The cities of Xiangyang and Nanyang can only hold back 20,000 troops of the Ming Emperor at most. Although the Ming army will not attack the cities, they have already built deep trenches and earthen walls outside the two cities. It will be very unfavorable for the troops to move at that time. Moreover, the Ming army has also deployed a large number of navy in Nanyang and Xiangyang. These troops can rely on warships and rivers to effectively block our cavalry." Dorgon said, his tone becoming much gloomier.

After hearing this, Hong Chengchou and Ajige's faces also darkened. They knew that the strength of the Ming army was now so strong, but now they heard it again from Dorgon, so they naturally felt a little disappointed.

"No matter what, if we put all our troops forward this time, it is not impossible to defeat the Ming Emperor in one battle. The most important thing now is to not let the Ming army have a chance to breathe, otherwise the Ming army will be even stronger in the second year." Ajige raised his head and said confidently:
"I remember the terrain around Nanyang. There aren't many places where the Ming Emperor could ambush us, and those aren't good ones. While there are many hills in those areas, making them unsuitable for cavalry, the surrounding areas are mostly plains. They can't escape. If the Ming Emperor were to confront us head-on there, he would undoubtedly be defeated."

After hearing this, Dorgon and Hong Chengchou both nodded. Although they had no choice but to launch such a war, they still had a certain degree of confidence. It was just that their opponent was the undefeated general Zhu Cilang, and the pressure was too great.

"No matter what, we must win this battle. As long as we can win, we will definitely win." Dorgon paused and said excitedly, "Back at Sarhu, our Qing Dynasty wasn't sure of victory, but we prevailed in the end. This time will be no exception."

After that, he turned to Ajige and said, "Immediately send Tang Ma to tell Yue Le that Hanzhong can be defended. He should lead his troops out of Shaanxi and into Nanyang to contain the Ming army. We must not let the Ming Emperor escape."
.
"Boom, boom, boom——"

The sound of artillery bombardment was deafening. More than sixty eight-pound cannons, the latest red cannons produced by the "Yingtian Weapon Bureau" and the "Changsha Weapon Bureau", were bombarding the city walls of Nanyang. The artillery positions were filled with smoke, and the black iron bullets hit the fortresses, causing stone chips to fly everywhere.

On the last group of platforms around the city wall, hundreds of Qing soldiers, most of whom were hiding with their heads in their hands, would occasionally let out shrill screams from soldiers injured by rubble.

In addition to the solid city walls on the south side of Nanyang City, there are also many solid towers built in the past year. The Qing army deployed many firearms inside, which cooperated with the artillery on the city walls to form a mutually protective defense system.

This was a new defensive measure implemented by the Qing army after the Battle of Wuchang to prevent internal interference. Two trenches more than ten feet wide were dug outside these forts, making them easy to defend but difficult to attack.

These Houtai fortresses were built very solidly. The Qing army could not only send cavalry from Nanyang City to contain the Tianqi Army and the Xiaoqi Army, preventing the Ming army from attacking with all their strength, but also deliver supplies to these Houtai fortresses under the cover of darkness at night, so that the Qing defenders inside could receive a steady supply of reinforcements.

However, now these trenches have been filled in by the soldiers of the Palace Army, and even most of the fortress walls have been blasted with several large holes by artillery shells. The walls of many fortresses are crumbling, and collapsed bricks and stones fall from time to time.

Although Zhu Cilang did not order the army to launch a large-scale siege, he did not let the hundreds of thousands of troops idle. In addition to sending a small force to recapture the surrounding cities and clear out the Qing army strongholds, clearing out the Houtai fortress outside Nanyang and Xiangyang was also very important for him to deter the Qing army.

But despite this, under the fierce artillery attack of the central army in front of the palace, dozens of Houtai outside Nanyang City are now being taken down one by one. Although the Qing army resisted very tenaciously, these fortifications were destined to be difficult to defend for a long time when they were first built.

At this time, Zhu Cilang, who had just returned from an inspection in the north, was standing on a newly built platform surrounded by soldiers from the imperial camp. He raised his telescope to watch the artillery bombardment in front for a while, and then felt a little bored.

However, he was not in a hurry. It didn't matter whether Nanyang City could be captured or not. The most important thing was that all the armies were trained on the battlefield.

The current offensive of the Ming army does seem to be progressing slowly, but they are actually digging deep trenches and building high fortifications, waiting for Dorgon to go south, and then retreating to the south. By then, the Qing army in the city will be unable to pursue them.

Hong Chengchou was indeed a rare strategist of this period. He had actually almost guessed Zhu Cilang's strategy, but he did not expect that Zhu Cilang's focus was on Shaanxi, not the Central Plains.

In this way, his so-called strategy and wisdom were exploited by Zhu Cilang.

Now, with the smooth progress of Chen Fu and Gao Yigong's troops, the main force of Liu Tichun and Hao Xiaozhong's army has been transferred back to Zhenping and Neixiang areas, while Ma Shixiu and Ma Jinzhong's troops continue to be stationed in Tangxian and Biyang to prevent accidents.

He was waiting for Yue Le to lead his troops south, but he also had to protect his own interests. On the battlefield, no one could guarantee that there would be no accidents. If Zhu Cilang was unexpectedly defeated in Nanyang, the Qing army would surely advance straight in, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

But as long as the two wings were unobstructed, relying on the navy and the surrounding rivers and towns, Zhu Cilang would be able to block the enemy step by step and limit the performance of the Qing cavalry.

In other words, the Ming army could only defend the two wings of Nanyang. In the absence of preparation, the Qing army would definitely not be able to capture southern Henan in a short period of time and would need to wait for the cities in various prefectures and counties in other places.

As long as Dorgon failed to win, and the Western Army made progress in Hanzhong, after the news spread to Longxi, northern Shaanxi, Ganning, and even Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong, the Green Camp Army in these places would inevitably usher in a wave of rebellion.

Now, what Zhu Cilang had to do was to be on high alert and make all preparations. As for the process of capturing Nanyang and Houtai Fortress outside Xiangyang City, he would just treat it as a test of artillery and training of new recruits.

Now, major arsenals in Changsha, Jiujiang, Hanyang and other places are working day and night. Tens of thousands of craftsmen are working with the assistance of management systems and various production tools that are ahead of the times. The production capacity is very strong. Compared with the Ming army's devastating offensive, it is already overcapacity.

"Is the western trench finished?" Zhu Cilang watched for a while longer, then finally put down the telescope he was using to observe the battle at Houtai in the distance. He turned to look at Chang Denggui beside him and asked, "Once the trench is dug, immediately build the earthen wall. There must be no delay."

"Your Majesty, the siege trenches east of the seven camps west of Nanyang City have been basically dug. Their width and depth are more than 15 feet. If the Qing army in the city tries to break out rashly, they will definitely not be able to pass through smoothly." Upon hearing this, Chang Denggui immediately clasped his fists and reported.

"Your Majesty, I have also deployed cavalry on all sides of Nanyang City, especially on the west side where trenches have not yet been dug and earth walls have not yet been built. If the Tartars dare to break out from here, I will make sure they never return." Lin Changfeng then bowed and clasped his hands.

"If the Qing army really dares to break out from the west, then the Heavenly Cavalry will be directly on the plains and will kill them all. I won't have to worry about this anymore."

Zhu Cilang smiled after he finished speaking, but soon shook his head and said:
"But if we directly annihilate all these Tartar soldiers, Dorgon will probably not move south. Even if Yue Le reaches Tongguan and moves south, he will probably turn back. Then the Western Route Army will have no choice but to return empty-handed."

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing." Lin Changfeng clasped his fists again.

"Do you want to continue sending troops to harass Henan Prefecture, or even recapture all those counties?" Zhu Cilang knew what Lin Changfeng wanted to say, but the counties and prefectures he controlled now were already able to meet the strategic requirements of stabilizing the front line and covering the flanks, and he did not want to continue to divide the troops.

Lin Changfeng, on the other hand, wanted the Heavenly Cavalry to attack and take the opportunity to gain more military merits. Since the Northern Expedition, his army had not had a chance to demonstrate its strength.

"Yes, Your Majesty. If we can capture Luoyang, Yue Le will definitely send troops from Tongguan. Luoyang City is controlled by the Qing army, and there are still many Eight Banners soldiers and Baoyi soldiers stationed in the city, which is always a hidden danger. I am worried that Yue Le will hide a large number of troops there and suddenly attack Nanyang at a critical moment, catching us off guard..."

"Commander Lin, you're worrying too much. Before we annihilate the main force of the Qing army, it will do us no good to capture Luoyang." Chang Denggui disagreed with Lin Changfeng's plan and immediately said:
"It's not difficult to capture Luoyang, but it's difficult to hold it. How can we defend a city so isolated in the north?"

"Luoyang has been taken, so there's no need to defend it." Lin Changfeng had a different explanation for this. He wasn't just anxious to achieve merit; his strategy was also based on the actual situation. "I simply wanted to stimulate Yue Le and Dorgon, urging them to send troops as soon as possible, especially Yue Le."

Just as Lin Changfeng finished speaking, several horses from the north arrived and delivered the military intelligence they had gathered from the Luoyang direction. Chang Denggui quickly opened it and immediately reported to Zhu Cilang:

"Your Majesty, the Qing troops in Tongguan have started to move, and the Qing troops in Hanzhong have also begun to mobilize. This must be the order from Dorgon."

Zhu Cilang was excited when he heard this. He had finally waited for this moment. He immediately said to Lin Changfu, "Changfu!"

"Chen is here!"

"Pass on my military order. All generals must gather urgently tonight. I will call an urgent military meeting in the central military tent."

(End of this chapter)