Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 256 Fierce battle in the valley

In this area of ​​mountains covered with lush forests, it is obviously impractical to rely on flags to convey military orders.

Chen Fu, a veteran of many battles, knew this very well, so he decided to use the sound of blank gunfire as the signal to launch an attack. A few earth-shaking gunshots were enough to convey the order, which was more reliable than relying solely on visual signals.

The Qing army immediately became agitated after hearing the sound of artillery fire.

The team was able to maintain neat formations and strict discipline while marching slowly, but once the battle began, their seemingly well-organized formation quickly revealed flaws.

Although many of them had anticipated an ambush and had conducted relevant training in advance, they still seemed to be unable to cope with it in the actual battle.

In the minds of these bondservants, this dangerous valley and gloomy forest were completely unfamiliar.

Not only did they have to deal with the complex terrain, but they also had to face the powerful and formidable army under Chen Fu's command.

Under this kind of attack from both inside and outside, the morale of the army began to waver, and panic and chaos inevitably broke out in the ranks.

Ajige quickly realized the severity of the current situation and immediately ordered his troops to defend on the spot.

He also sent out several Bayala scouts, ordering them to quickly inform Dorgon. After receiving the order, the scouts immediately galloped away and disappeared at the end of the winding mountain road.

The section of the valley that the Qing army entered was the narrowest area. When the ambushing Ming army rushed out from their hiding place, the distance was extremely close and the time was very fast.

Since they did not bring any tools for building fortifications with them, the Qing army could only form a simple military formation on the spot to try to resist the fierce attack of the Ming army.

Despite this, everything seems to be going according to plan.

This fake Qing army main force under Ajige's command had prior arrangements and training and quickly took action.

Their armor made clanging sounds and reflected bursts of cold light under the sunlight.

These soldiers also knew that their defense was just a pretense, aimed at preventing the Ming army from winning easily and avoiding suspicion from the commander Chen Fu, but they still tried to act as realistically as possible.

However, the military formation formed by this fake Qing army's main force could not be called solid.

Their combat effectiveness was insufficient to begin with, and with the coordinated attacks of the powerful cavalry of the Ming army on both sides, this unit could only barely hold off several raids by the Ming army's vanguard.

As the war horses galloped, dust rose up from the bottom of the valley.

Ajige was nervous. While the main force of the Ming army had not yet approached, he quickly arranged his baoyi soldiers, who had slightly stronger combat effectiveness, at the front of the formation, forming a relatively solid military formation in an attempt to resist the upcoming fierce attack.

The spearmen in the army worked in pairs to build simple chevaux de frise in front of the formation.

These chevaux de frise can buy them more time to defend themselves without any fortifications.

This was a tactic they gradually learned during numerous battles with Zhu Cilang's Palace Army, proving that the Manchu military aristocracy still possessed a war learning ability that should not be underestimated.

But Ajige knew very well that the combat effectiveness and endurance of these baoyi soldiers were very limited.

They had not undergone long-term rigorous training. Once the front battlefield was defeated, the front-line soldiers would inevitably surge backwards. Such a dense formation would most likely cause a large-scale stampede, resulting in heavy casualties on their side.

However, for Ajige, the deaths and injuries of these Han bannermen were not worth his excessive concern.

Their sacrifice was more to cover the real main force of the Qing army to complete the combat deployment.

In addition to these baoyi soldiers, this fake Qing army main force also carried more than a dozen small artillery pieces.

Although the firepower of these cannons is not as strong as that of the Ming army, their addition may be able to delay the Ming army's offensive at a critical moment, buy some precious time for Ajige, and even cause some casualties.

Time passed quickly. From the mountains on the north and south sides, the Ming army's ambush troops surged out like a tide and quickly occupied the advantageous terrain.

At the exit of the valley, the dense crowd of Ming army soldiers seemed endless. Their helmets gleamed coldly in the sun, and their fluttering flags rustled in the wind, setting off the narrow valley.

The tide of the Ming army continued to spread deep into the valley, and the formation gradually widened, as if to swallow up all the enemies blocking the way.

At the same time, thousands of Ming cavalry were rushing out from the exit of the valley. The neighing of war horses and the roar of their iron hooves shook the valley like thunder, raising dust and shaking the earth.

Ajige stood on a high place, looking at the Ming army sweeping in like a tide, and an uncontrollable fear surged in his heart.

You know, although Ajige had several battlefield experiences, a large-scale battle like this involving tens of thousands of troops was only one of the few times in his life.

Between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, not every battle involved tens or hundreds of thousands of people.

Seeing that the Ming army was increasing in number, as if it were endless, his throat became dry, and his hands gripping the reins began to tremble involuntarily, and he even felt a little scared.

Soon, as the sound of explosions echoed in the valley, the Qing army's artillery roared.

Hundreds of lead bullets whizzed out, hurtling towards the Ming soldiers who had rushed to the front. The explosions and smoke from the artillery fire made the battlefield even more chaotic, but the morale of the Ming army remained undiminished, and they continued to charge towards the Qing army's position.

A trace of despair flashed in Ajige's eyes. He knew very well that he was in a dangerous situation, but what frightened him even more was the Ming army in front of him, which was like a tiger descending from the mountain.

In contrast, the untrained baoyi soldiers under his command seemed particularly fragile and weak.

He could almost foresee that if a head-on confrontation took place, his troops would undoubtedly be annihilated.

However, he had no choice but to hold his ground.

Ajige knew that he was carrying the trust of Dorgon and even the fate of the entire Qing army.

At this juncture, we must not retreat easily.

On the battlefield, victory or defeat often depends on a single thought.

Ajige had no choice but to bite the bullet and order his subordinates to fight to the death, hoping to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Although Ajige was stunned for a moment, he quickly reacted. The fear in his heart was dispelled by the shrill sound of the bugle call, and his eyes quickly shifted as the Qing army moved rapidly.

These Qing troops acted very quickly and quickly completed temporary array arrangements on the west, south and north sides.

The rugged terrain of the valley restricted the movement of the large Ming army dispatched by Chen Fu, making it difficult for them to launch an effective attack before the Qing army could complete its formation. The sound of war drums and bugles echoed through the valley, deafening as countless Ming troops surged forward like a raging storm, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. They advanced in unison, presenting the appearance of a powerful army.

At the same time, Chen Fu also ordered thousands of soldiers to detour from the mountain roads on both sides, attempting to cut off the Qing army's retreat at a critical moment and intending to completely encircle and wipe out this Qing army in the valley.

As the roar of gunpowder explosions rang out, thick smoke rose in front of the Qing army in the valley, and hundreds of lead bullets sprayed like fans towards the dense Ming army's charging formation.

The front-row soldiers of Chen Fu's assault army fell like grass in the strong wind, and fell to the ground in large numbers. The lead bullets hit the armor with crackling sounds, and the charging formation also fluctuated.

However, the Ming army's offensive did not diminish in the slightest. Officers at all levels quickly organized the soldiers in the rear to fill their positions, reorganized the formation, and restored the charge formation.

At this time, the second round of artillery bombardment by the Qing army seemed much slower, and the true face of this "fake Qing army" began to gradually be exposed.

However, the narrow terrain of the valley forced the Ming army to charge in a dense formation, which resulted in more than a dozen four-pound cannons causing considerable casualties to the Ming army, and the charge formation began to appear somewhat chaotic.

Logically speaking, with the firing rate and lethality of the four-pound cannon, under the operation of skilled gunners, it should be difficult for the Ming army to quickly break through, and they may even have to pay a heavier price before they can approach the Qing army's position and engage in close combat with them.

However, due to the lack of sufficient training, these Baoyi soldiers were unable to operate the complicated artillery as accurately as well-trained elite soldiers, which greatly shortened the blocking process.

However, these baoyi soldiers were not equipped with sophisticated and expensive Rumi guns. In the close-range musket battle with the Ming army, the Qing army was quickly defeated and its front collapsed.

Chen Fu stood on a hillside on the northern mountain range, holding the "Clairvoyance" in his hand and staring at the battle situation in the valley, with a smug smile on his face.

"In the previous battles, the Qing army suffered heavy losses of its elite troops, but I didn't expect the situation to be so bad." He thought to himself.

At the beginning, the Qing army responded very quickly and was obviously well prepared, which made Chen Fu feel a little worried.

However, the results of the subsequent battle proved that his worries were unnecessary - the Qing army's artillery and muskets failed to play their due role.

This allowed Chen Fu's raiding army to achieve quick success. It had been a long time since he had fought such a large-scale decisive battle with the main force of the Eight Banners of the Qing army. The feeling he had in Baoning more than a year ago came back to him.

However, the narrow terrain hindered the cavalry's movements more severely than expected, forcing the Ming and Qing armies to confront each other in infantry combat.

Chen Fu's deputy general was also observing the battle situation in the valley, frowning slightly and reminding:
"General, the fighting power of this Qing army seems too weak. Something is wrong. Logically speaking, although the main force of the Eight Banners has been damaged many times, it shouldn't be so easily defeated."

Chen Fu had never relaxed his vigilance, and when he was reminded by his deputy general, the excitement he had just felt about the army's breakthrough disappeared instantly, and his sharp intuition from many battles quickly recovered.

He pondered for a moment, then said:

"This general also feels something is amiss. Although this group of Eight Banner soldiers encountered our elite troops and launched a surprise attack, they shouldn't be so vulnerable. It's as if they are just a facade that collapses at the slightest touch."

He then analyzed:
"If it was a small group of Qing troops, it would be reasonable for them to lose their fighting spirit under the onslaught of tens of thousands of Ming troops.

But this unit is clearly Ajige's elite troops, one of the three main forces of the Tartars. Dorgon's royal flag is in the ranks, so they shouldn't be defeated so easily."

Upon hearing this, the deputy general immediately realized the seriousness of the problem, but still couldn't help but flatter:
"However, the general personally led the troops. How could a mere 30,000 Qing troops, even with some Green Camp soldiers mixed in, withstand the might of the Ming Dynasty's strongest army?"

At this moment, the deafening sound of war drums was heard again in the valley. The Ming army suddenly launched a charge amid a thunderous shout, with great momentum.

At this time, the Qing army had already shown signs of exhaustion, the front line began to loosen, and the decline was obvious.

The development of the battle situation became increasingly clear, the momentum of the Ming army grew stronger, and the defense line of the Qing army gradually collapsed.

But Chen Fu's uneasiness grew stronger. Although victory was within his grasp, he still felt that there was some hidden danger in this battle that he had not yet perceived.

He tightly grasped the "Clairvoyance" in his hand and observed the situation in the valley again, trying to find the source of this uneasiness.

"Tell the cavalry to slow down their charge, and at the same time, tell the flanking troops on both sides to speed up their advance!"

Chen Fu stood on the mountainside, his eyes fixed on the battle situation in the valley. He quickly analyzed the current situation in his mind and gave orders decisively.

"Yes, General." The messenger responded and quickly conveyed the order.

On the surface, the formation and momentum of the main force of the Qing army in front of them were quite strict, and it seemed difficult to defeat them in one fell swoop.

But once the two armies entered the close combat stage, the true strength of the Qing army was exposed.

Although they had not completely collapsed, under the fierce attack of Chen Fu's army, obvious cracks had appeared in their defense line, and the decline could not be concealed at all.

If it weren't for the thousands of elite Eight Banners soldiers who were still holding on to the flanks, the Qing army would have been defeated by now.

Ajige had not expected that Chen Fu's army would be so brave. Now he could only command the remaining troops to fight and retreat, which was actually more like a rout.

In fact, Ajige knew very well that according to common sense, the main force of the Eight Banners should not be so vulnerable, and they should have been able to hold out on the battlefield longer.

But he had no choice but to accept the facts before him.

After all, most of this army were baoyi soldiers, and they were not elite troops. If it were not for the planned retreat prepared in advance, the command system would probably have been in chaos by now.

Ajige looked around and saw that the Ming army had reorganized its formation, which had become a little messy due to artillery bombardment and charge, and was preparing to launch a second round of offensive.

The situation of being attacked from three sides became increasingly obvious, and the severity of the war situation was self-evident.

However, despite the fierce offensive of the Ming army, the situation had not yet completely gotten out of control.

Chen Fu chose to launch a surprise attack in a narrow area of ​​the valley. Although it effectively shortened the distance of the charge and put the Qing army in trouble for a time, the limitations of this terrain also hindered the full deployment of the Ming army.

For the attacking side, the advantage of military strength is difficult to fully utilize here.

In other words, this is actually more disadvantageous for the Ming army, which is on the attacking side and has an advantage in military strength.

Ajige understood that the key to victory in this battle lay in whether he could stabilize his position in time, take advantage of the terrain to put up a tenacious resistance, and wait for a favorable opportunity to counterattack.

The terrain of the valley is complex. Although the Ming army has the advantage in numbers, if they can cleverly use the terrain, they may not be able to completely suppress the Qing army in a short time.

Ajige took a deep breath, knowing that he had to remain calm in order to lead this defeated army to a chance of survival.

(End of this chapter)