Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 223: Prepare the Pocket
Under the command of Lao Qin, a general under Ajige and also his third son, this cavalry of more than a thousand people quickly entered the north of Xiangyang. They were mainly composed of Ajige's guards and tribal soldiers captured from outside the border. Their field combat strength was quite strong.

Although these tribal soldiers outside the Great Wall had only been incorporated into the Eight Banners Army for about a year, they had basically completed their training and equipment, and their wildness had not yet disappeared. They had a very strong adaptability to the environment of mountains and wild fields, and could exert strong combat power in it.

Not only that, their true commander, Gadahun, was a fierce general in the Eight Banners Army. He had previously led his troops to follow Ajige and pursue Li Zicheng to Jiugong Mountain. In the original history, when the famous generals of the late Qing Dynasty were declining, he fought back and forth on multiple battlefields to put out fires.

It was obvious that Ajige sent him out this time to flatter his son so that he could seize power smoothly in the future.

After all, Dorgon had no son, and Dodo was not obedient, but he had many sons, more than a dozen, and he himself had made great military achievements!
Under the command of Gadahun and Laoqin, this cavalry of more than a thousand people took less than two days and one night to pass through the mountain valleys and even forest trails hundreds of miles west of Nanyang Prefecture and arrived at the blocking point designated by Ajige.

But Zhu Cilang was well prepared, and their ambush failed. Instead, they had to face a surprise attack from the Ming army.

As for the two defenders of Xiangyang City, Lekedehun and Shang Kexi, they were completely unable to provide support due to the obstruction of the Dongting Lake Navy. They could only watch helplessly as the reinforcements they had been waiting for for months were repelled.

The nearly 100,000 troops under Zhu Cilang's command quickly completed the transfer in just three days. The main force of the Palace Army and the Loyal Camp withdrew to Yicheng, south of Xiangyang, and the Left Town and Right Town withdrew to Gucheng and Guanghua in the west, and Suizhou in the east respectively.

Moreover, Yicheng is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the Ming army has control over the water, so they can retreat to the south at any time. Zhu Cilang retreated here because he valued the geographical location that allows him to attack or defend.

Of course, during this process, the Palace Army still left troops in Fancheng Pass and Lumen Mountain to block the Qing army. Xiangyang could not go to Nanyang, and the valleys in the northeast were not suitable for the main army to advance. Although there were dense river networks here, there were flat wilderness everywhere, which made it very convenient to dispatch troops.

This also made Dorgon and Ajige have no doubt at all about Zhu Cilang's withdrawal, especially after seeing Zhu Cilang's preparations in Yicheng, they were even more certain that the other party did not dare to fight a decisive battle, but was unwilling to withdraw easily.

After all, Zhu Cilang left thousands of soldiers and horses in these two places to block the enemy. Although it was only for two or three days, the army guarding Fancheng Pass and Lumen Mountain effectively restrained the actions of the Qing army's vanguard.

In the end, the Ming army's retreat to the south was very successful. Except for some food, weapons, and scrapped artillery in the camp that were not taken away in time, or that Zhu Cilang deliberately left behind to show that the army's retreat was very hasty, all other supplies were basically moved south smoothly.

Naturally, he ordered a huge fire to destroy all the food, fodder, and military equipment, along with several large camps. This was the consistent style of the Ming army - fortifying the city and clearing the countryside.

When Ajige saw the Ming army camp in the south with flames rising into the sky, he could no longer understand that he was one step too late. Although he was angry, he did not give up the action, but continued to lead his troops in pursuit.

Dorgon did the same. He personally led his troops to the Baihe front and personally commanded the entire army to cross the river, for fear that Zhu Cilang would escape.

But by the time he led his troops into Xiangyang Prefecture, the Ming army in the south had already withdrawn, leaving him with only several abandoned camps that were burning fiercely, with ashes all over the ground and black smoke still billowing into the sky in many places.

At this time, Dorgon had gathered nearly 10,000 cavalry vanguards, and his manpower was very sufficient. The Ming army that finally abandoned the camp and fled had more than 10,000 troops. He immediately ordered Ajige to pursue and intercept them at full speed.

During the previous military meeting, Dorgon had analyzed the possible actions of the Ming army under various circumstances, but he did not expect Zhu Cilang to retreat so quickly.

Ajige pursued relentlessly all the way, but because he quickly distanced himself from the main force and had no support from the main force, he was quite hesitant, especially since the Ming army was very likely to set up an ambush in Lumen Mountain. If he advanced rashly, he would probably be seeking his own death.

He encountered ambushes from the Ming army at Fancheng Pass and the northern foot of Lumen Mountain. Even though he relied on the elite guards he led and the main force that was about to arrive, he was still surprised by the meticulousness of the Ming army's retreat plan.

Of course, the Ming troops at Fancheng Pass and Lumen Mountain had to both stop the enemy and support the main army. Under the repeated attacks of these battle-hardened elite Eight Banners, they continued to reveal their weaknesses and soon could not hold on. They retreated to Yicheng as originally planned.

However, as the situation developed to this point, Ajige gradually realized that something was wrong, but he could only make the best of it. You know, Dorgon had already led the main force into Xiangyang and had not yet gained a firm foothold. If he retreated at this time, serious chaos would surely break out.

After all, during the army's hasty retreat, the last group of soldiers left behind to block the attack would have little chance of successfully retreating. They were not the vanguard of the army's attack, and there was still the main force behind them to look forward to. As long as they held on, nothing would be a problem.

The most crucial thing is that Ajige learned from the military intelligence sent back by the scouts at this time that Emperor Ming had actually dispersed tens of thousands of troops to the two wings during the retreat. Although they were not his personal troops, they could still fight.

This was also the most important basis for him to finally determine that Emperor Ming wanted to use the same trick again to lure them south.

However, Ajige had been chasing the Ming army all the way and defeated the blocking troops that repelled the Ming army many times. At this time, he had become very arrogant and naturally would not stop there. Instead, he was eager to fight a decisive battle with the Ming army and completely defeat the Ming emperor on the plains of Huguang.

At this point, Ajige was not going to give up so easily. He waited until the follow-up troops arrived, and before it got dark, he organized two consecutive attacks by thousands of cavalrymen against Zhu Cilang's cavalrymen left in the south of Lumen Mountain.

In his view, forcing the Ming army to Yicheng and engaging in a decisive battle there was also a good option. The Ming army in Huguang had no strategic location to defend except for retreating to Jingzhou and other places. Once a standoff was formed, a decisive battle was the only option.

However, Lin Changfeng was also well prepared. As soon as Ajige entered the plains, he was attacked by the Tianqi Army, and as expected, he was repelled by the Tianqi Army.

This is not because the Eight Banners Army's cavalry was not strong, but after chasing for hundreds of miles and crossing several rivers, facing the Tianqi Army, which was well-rested and had the advantage in manpower and horses, even Ajige, the commander with extremely strong cavalry command skills, found it difficult to exert his strength.

After all, if the troops are not strong, any tactical and strategic deployment will be in vain.

As the sky gradually darkened, Ajige dared not take any more risks. He had to hold Lumen Mountain and consolidate the army's vanguard position. This was a hard-won and significant achievement that would further enhance his prestige and influence in the army. At the same time, Dorgon mobilized the rear as quickly as possible. A large number of Qing troops quickly crossed the river to Xiangyang, and some cavalry quickly moved south to reinforce Ajige.

Although Ajige's pursuit did not achieve the expected results and the Qing army's offensive eventually stopped at Lumen Mountain, the current results still enabled the Qing army to gain a certain initiative on the battlefield.

Dorgon rode his horse at full speed and soon arrived at the Qing army camp north of Lumen Mountain. He couldn't wait to meet Ajige and learn the latest military information.

"The Ming Emperor's deployment was meticulous, and the Ming army's capabilities should not be underestimated, especially the navy. We can't easily cross the Han River. Otherwise, with the army retreating and morale unstable, it's impossible for those thousands of Ming troops to maintain such fighting spirit and resist so tenaciously. The Ming Emperor was able to stir up trouble in the south for so long, which is truly remarkable."

Ajige paused, changed his usual tone of contempt for the Ming army, and said in a deep voice:
"These Nikan cavalrymen were able to withstand two powerful attacks commanded by me personally on the plains. This is something that previous Nikan soldiers, let alone bandits, could not achieve!"

Dorgon knew what Ajige meant. He actually realized that he had entered a trap, but at the same time, he also understood that it was impossible to withdraw troops at this time.

"The Ming Emperor sent his navy to block our army's pontoon bridge a few days ago, but now we have successfully moved south. The Han River stretches for thousands of miles. With the strength of the Ming navy, it is impossible for them to completely control both banks. I'm afraid they are powerless to stop us."

"If Emperor Ming didn't have a navy, he would never be able to block our pontoon bridge, let alone have enough time to retreat calmly!" Gadahun also said.

"However, Emperor Ming should have been prepared to retreat south if the situation turned sour. Otherwise, he wouldn't have retreated to Yicheng and built those docks for transporting supplies in advance." Dorgon said, then changed the subject and expressed his own judgment:

"The Ming army burned down a large camp along the way, but there was still a lot of military supplies and fodder inside, as well as some heavy artillery that was burned and destroyed. Although the Ming army had been prepared, they retreated too hastily, not even having time to set new traps along the way, and the camp was not completely burned."

"Emperor Ming's army of hundreds of thousands retreated a hundred miles south in such a panic, and also lost Fancheng Pass and Lumen Mountain. How could this be true?" Kakamu raised the corner of his mouth and said proudly:
"He dispersed his troops to both wings, seemingly to lure the enemy deeper, but in reality, he was courting his own demise. We may not have gained a firm foothold yet, but once we gain a foothold in Xiangyang, the several thousand Ming cavalry south of Lumen Mountain will be no match for Prince Ying's attack and will ultimately be forced to retreat north."

After hearing this, Dorgon nodded directly. Now that the situation had developed to this point, he was worried that Emperor Ming was plotting a trick, but he couldn't help but feel a little proud - this was a great opportunity for a decisive battle.

"Hmph, do those Nikans have the strength to fight against my Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty?

Tomorrow, when the army enters the plains to the south and has a firm foothold, Ajige, you will engage the Ming cavalry again. If they dare to retreat, pursue them relentlessly and do not let them go."

"That's exactly what I was planning!" Ajige said coldly.

The Manchu nobles and generals under Dorgon and Ajige all felt that they had a great advantage at this time. Dozens of fully armed guards held torches in their hands, and the flickering flames in the breeze reflected their confident faces.

The vanguard of the Qing army's southern expedition soon set up a solid camp on the plain south of Xiangyang City. Ajige personally led the camp. In addition to nearly 10,000 Eight Banners cavalry, there were also thousands of armored baoyi soldiers and thousands of Green Camp auxiliary soldiers.

Dorgon led the main army and temporarily garrisoned in Xiangyang City. He still needed to determine the specific situation of the Ming army on both wings before deciding whether to concentrate all the troops to the south of Xiangyang and fight a decisive battle with the Ming army.

Since Ajige led the vanguard into the plains south of Xiangyang, the Qing army's scouts have crossed the hills and scattered villages distributed in the vast plains around Lumen Mountain, constantly harassing the Ming army's scouts in the north.

The Palace Army and the Heavenly Cavalry Army were well prepared for this. Although Dorgon quickly sent reinforcements to Ajige, the Qing army's scouts were still repeatedly repelled. The two sides launched a fierce scout battle around the hills and villages in this vast plain, with dozens of casualties every day.

In the vast land north of Yicheng and south of Lumen Mountain, there are many abandoned and dilapidated villages around the hills, as well as bushes growing on the hills, which together form an excellent environment for covering the scouts' operations.

As a result, because the war had been abandoned for several years, the bodies of soldiers from the Manchu and Qing armies, as well as hundreds of war horses, continued to fall in the wilderness covered with weeds.

However, the area north of Yicheng and south of Lumen Mountain is almost flat, except for the gentle hills and naturally formed villages. In addition, the southwest of the Han River is densely covered with streams, which is not suitable for combat. There are fewer rivers in the east, and the entire area is naturally suitable for large-scale decisive battles.

But this also means that in a decisive battle here, except for the highly mobile cavalry, other troops will have almost no way to retreat once they are defeated.

Dorgon and Ajige obviously saw this point, so they took the risk of going south even though they knew that Zhu Cilang had set a trap.

And it was precisely because of this that Zhu Cilang refused to give in after retreating to Xiangyang. The Five Military Commandery had also formulated a detailed plan early on, built the dock in advance, and even built self-contained earthen walls, watchtowers and other defensive fortifications around the dock.

If the combat power of the Eight Banners is ultimately beyond imagination and the battle situation becomes unfavorable, Zhu Cilang can leave some troops to garrison these earthen walls and watchtowers to block the pursuit of the Qing army, and can also take some troops away.

After he abandoned the blocking positions at Fancheng Pass and Lumen Mountain, the vanguard retreated to the south of Lumen Mountain, and the main force of the army was stationed in the Yicheng camp. The troops of the Palace Army and the Heavenly Cavalry Army had gathered in the city at this time, and a strong camp was also set up outside the city to ensure that the army could retreat at any time.

Not only that, Yicheng had sufficient reserves of materials and complete and rich logistical supplies, so even though the Palace Army and the Heavenly Cavalry Army retreated, their morale was still well maintained.

(End of this chapter)