Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 263 Artillery Decisive Victory
A horse came galloping from the west, covered in dust, and in the blink of an eye it arrived in front of the position with a big flag with the word "Gold" on it.

The cavalryman skillfully dismounted and ran to Zhong Dingfu, a subordinate of Qing general Jin Li, without stopping to present the military order.

After receiving the order, Zhong Dingfu issued the order quickly without any hesitation, summoning all the troops under his command.

He knew very well what this battle meant. As a die-hard supporter of Jin Li, he had long since abandoned his homeland and become a complete traitor.

In order to preserve his wealth and glory, he had no choice but to go all out to win the battle.

Zhong Dingfu led hundreds of cavalrymen and galloped towards the main battlefield in the west. The speed was so fast that the dust raised by the horses' hooves covered the sky.

Zhong Dingfu knew very well that victory or failure was at stake and any carelessness would lead to failure.

Although Jin Li and Ajige's orders did not require him to mobilize all his troops, he was confident that his judgment would not be wrong.

He has been on the battlefield for many years and has rich combat experience, and is not necessarily inferior to Jin Li and Ajige.

At present, the Ming army's cavalry in the valley was tied up and could not escape; as long as the main force of the Ming army in the valley was completely defeated, the pressure on the rear and both wings would naturally be relieved.

Having made up his mind, he spurred his horse again and sped up his progress.

Riding on horseback, Zhong Dingfu stared at the Ming army camp on the other side of the horizon with his eyes as sharp as torches.

The densely packed ranks looked like a dark cloud covering the city in his sight. Although the sounds of gunfire from the battle between the two armies had weakened a lot compared to before, they still continued to rise and fall without stopping.

He was very clear that whether his troops could stop the main force of the Ming army would directly determine the success or failure of the battle.

If you win, you will preserve your wealth and glory; if you lose, you may even lose your life.

Zhong Dingfu is no ordinary man. Decades of battlefield experience have given him outstanding insight and keen tactical judgment.

Relying on his accurate judgments, he repeatedly defeated the larger force with the smaller one. He once helped Jin Li repel the attack of the Ming army in a great battle and became an important hero in the Qing army.

However, with the unexpected appearance of Zhu Cilang, the course of history was completely changed, like a sudden storm.

At the same time, behind the Ming army camp, a large flag with the word "Chen" fluttered in the wind. Chen Fuzheng stood under the flag, gazing deeply at the battlefield in the distance.

The sound of drums came from the wind, accompanied by the fluttering of flags, and the air was filled with the tense atmosphere before the war.

At this moment, Lin Changfeng rode his horse in front of Chen Fu.

He had a stern expression and his armor was stained with blood, obviously he had just returned from a battle.

Lin Changfeng's cavalry kept chasing the defeated Qing army and fought for a long time in front of Zhong Dingfu's troops, but the strength of both sides was equal and the outcome was still a draw.

Now that the battlefield on the southern front is on the verge of collapse, Lin Changfeng realizes that he must reunite with Chen Fu at this moment to jointly deal with the upcoming life-and-death battle.

At this moment, the defense of Jinan City has been assigned to other generals, and there are only a few elite generals left under Chen Fu's command.

Right now, the only person he can trust is Lin Changfeng. It was this man who had turned the tide many times in times of crisis and turned defeats into victories.

"Although Zhong Dingfu has retreated, he is not someone to be trifled with. I'm afraid he will make new moves."

Lin Changfeng said calmly, with a deep sense of vigilance in his tone.

He was well aware of the cunning of the Qing generals. Although his side had temporarily taken the initiative, he must not slack off in the slightest.

Chen Fu pondered for a moment and nodded:
"We really can't underestimate the enemy. Zhong Dingfu has had a strong record over the years. Even though he's temporarily retreating today, I'm afraid he's secretly planning his next counterattack."

Lin Changfeng gripped the reins tightly, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's:

"As long as we can firmly control the current situation and not give him the opportunity to counterattack, the outcome of this battle is still in our hands."

Chen Fu had a lot of thoughts in his mind. He understood that Zhong Dingfu's tactics were sharp, but his side was not without a chance of winning.

Now, we only need to proceed step by step and respond cautiously to gradually break down the Qing army's defense line.

The atmosphere on the battlefield became increasingly tense, with both sides secretly accumulating strength, waiting for the moment of the fatal blow.

Zhong Dingfu galloped to the edge of the battlefield, his heart filled with anxiety and tension.

He knew that this battle not only concerned his future and destiny, but might also determine the direction of the entire war.

In the Ming army camp in the distance, Chen Fu and Lin Changfeng were also watching all this silently, preparing for the upcoming decisive battle.

Lin Changfeng clasped his hands and said in a deep voice:
"Commander, the troops of the Jinwu Camp are fully prepared and lined up for deployment. They will be deployed to the battlefield soon."

Chen Fu heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He knew full well that the current battle situation had reached a critical juncture. In order to stabilize the situation, he had previously been forced to disperse his forces across various defense lines.

Now, if we want to quickly organize a major offensive, there is almost no other choice except to mobilize the Jinwu Camp.

This troop was originally responsible for besieging the central mountains, but under the current circumstances, he had to take the risk of transferring it and quickly deploy it to the front battlefield.

Although the small victory just now was not enough to make Chen Fu take it lightly, it gave him some confidence.

He understood that on the battlefield, opportunities were fleeting, and if he did not seize this fleeting opportunity, the situation might tilt again.

He decided to concentrate all his troops, take advantage of the momentum of this victory, and launch an all-out attack to annihilate the Qing army in one fell swoop and end this protracted battle.

If these tens of thousands of Qing troops could be completely defeated, it would be a major victory for the Ming Dynasty.

However, Chen Fu knew at this time that the casualties and stalemate on the battlefield had far exceeded his initial expectations.

The outcome hangs on a thread, both sides have reached their limits, and any retreat by either side will immediately bring devastating consequences.

Therefore, he became more and more determined at this moment that this battle must be decided. Whoever retreats first is doomed to fail.

He raised the "telescope" in his hand - a telescope, and looked at the front battlefield.

The terrain here is slightly open, and the Qing army is busy mobilizing troops.

Through the lens, Chen Fu clearly saw the figures of Ajige and Jin Li in the Qing army. They were commanding the army to adjust its formation and prepare to deal with the upcoming fierce offensive.

However, just as he was observing the Qing army formation, Zhong Dingfu's recognition flag suddenly came into his sight.

Although he did not know who was commanding behind the flag, from the appearance of the flag, he could guess that the other party must be an important general in the Qing army.

"The Qing army has actually mobilized a new force. It seems that they are unwilling to make any more unnecessary losses and are preparing for a final fight."

Chen Fu said with a little confidence.

He sneered inwardly. After all, he had already mobilized over 10,000 main troops to prepare for the attack, and the 2,000 elite soldiers of the Jinwu Camp were even more powerful. How long could these Qing troops hold out?
Seeing this, Lin Changfeng immediately bowed and said:
"Rest assured, Admiral. I will surely sweep away the Qing army in this battle. I will personally take their lives and rid the people of this great scourge."

Hearing Lin Changfeng's words, Chen Fu's heart tightened slightly.

If it weren't for the previous strategic mistakes, the current situation might have been completely different, and people like Ajige and Jin Li might have been eliminated long ago. Now, the situation has reached a fateful moment, and the pressure in his heart is self-evident.

Lin Changfeng's words touched the hidden pain in his heart.

Lin Changfeng quickly realized that he had made a mistake in his words. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, Chen Fu interrupted him with a wave of his hand:
"No need to say more, immediately prepare your troops and begin the attack. We must wipe out these six to seven thousand Qing troops right here in one fell swoop. We must not give them another chance to counterattack."

"Yes, Admiral!" After receiving the order, Lin Changfeng rode his horse towards the front position without hesitation.

His personal guards' flags fluttered in the wind, and dozens of personal guards followed closely behind, their horses' hooves kicking up dust as they galloped towards the front line of the battlefield.

The atmosphere on the battlefield was becoming increasingly tense. Chen Fu stood on a high ground, his eyes piercing, watching the movements of the Qing army.

He knew that the commander of the Qing army was also a veteran who had fought many battles and would never retreat easily, not to mention that this battle was about their life and death.

However, Chen Fu was certain that the balance of victory was gradually tilting towards him.

As long as he seizes this opportunity, he will be able to completely turn the tide.

“Although the Qing army had a large force, their morale had declined significantly after a series of fierce battles.

Now, if we concentrate our superior forces and launch an all-out attack, victory or defeat will depend on this one move."

Chen Fu muttered to himself, his eyes full of determination.

On the battlefield, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out, accompanied by earth-shaking shouts of killing.

The two thousand elite soldiers of the Jinwu Camp rushed towards the Qing army positions like arrows, and the army in the rear followed closely behind. The entire battlefield was instantly shrouded in a strong murderous aura.

Where the two armies met, swords flashed and flames rose. Soldiers on both sides fought desperately, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Ajige and Jin Li commanded the defense in the Qing army. Although they were not at an advantage in terms of military strength, they still did not choose to retreat.

The Eight Banners cavalry and infantry worked closely together, using the terrain and fortifications to put up a tenacious resistance.

At this time, the sound of artillery fire in the center of the battlefield came one after another, thick smoke filled the air, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

The Qing cavalry led by Zhong Dingfu also joined the battle. They quickly turned their horses around and tried to outflank the Ming army.

But Lin Changfeng was prepared and personally led a cavalry team to meet the attack. The cavalry of both sides collided fiercely in the center of the battlefield, and the battle situation instantly became stalemate.

Chen Fu looked at the situation on the battlefield, but he didn't feel relieved.

He knew that if he could not completely defeat the Qing army in a short period of time, the subsequent battles would become more difficult.

If the Qing army continued to hold on using defensive fortifications, even though they had more troops, it would be difficult to capture the city in a short period of time.

However, Chen Fu did not hesitate.

He knew in his heart that victory or defeat often depended on a split second. He shouted the order:

"Pass on my order. The artillery will continue to bombard, and the infantry will attack with all their might. We must break through the Qing army's defenses in the shortest possible time!"

In front of the Qing army, thousands of Green Camp soldiers held their breath and stared at the Ming army opposite with sharp eyes.

Most of these soldiers are veterans under Zhong Dingfu. They have experienced countless bloody battles, are experienced, well-trained, and have extremely strong combat effectiveness.

Jin Li's special care and allocation of resources to them have greatly improved the combat quality of these Green Camp soldiers. They are like an iron-blooded force, ready to meet the enemy's attack at any time.

As the passionate sound of war drums and bugles rang out, the Ming army quickly reorganized its troops and formed a wide formation running across the east and west in the center of the battlefield.

The soldiers moved in unison, without any panic, showing extremely high discipline.

In the center of the army formation, there was a large flag with the word "Zhong" on it, fluttering in the wind. Surrounding it were flags like a forest, and the atmosphere was full of fighting spirit.

The Ming army's momentum at this moment seemed to be determined to fight a decisive battle with the Qing army.

A moment later, the two wings of the Ming army began to move. More than 30 cannons were pushed to the front line. Dozens of artillerymen quickly rushed to the gun positions and calmly adjusted the angles of the muzzles.

For a moment, the black muzzles of the guns were aimed at the Qing army's line, as if they were about to spew out deadly flames at any time.

At the same time, Chen Fu, Ajige and Jin Li also deployed the main forces of the Qing army on the central battlefield, striving to win the most critical frontal decisive battle.

Although the troops on the two wings were not numerous, they were used to contain the enemy's detachments.

On both sides of the foothills, the elite troops sent by Ajige and Jin Li had successfully tied down the 5,000 Ming troops there, preventing them from posing a greater threat.

At this moment, the Ming army formation was like a steel torrent, advancing forward in uniform steps accompanied by the deafening sound of war drums.

A two-mile-long team swept across the battlefield like an unstoppable tide.

Long spears stood in rows, their tips flashing coldly in the sunlight, rising and falling in unison with the soldiers' steps, like rolling waves, one after another, sweeping towards the Qing army.

At this moment, the Qing army's artillery took the lead in attacking.

More than 30 artillery pieces fired simultaneously, the deafening roar resounded through the sky, and orange-red flames spewed out of the muzzles.

Accompanied by a sharp explosion, iron bullets whizzed out in the white smoke, like the scythe of the god of death, and rushed straight towards the Ming army position.

The shells exploded in the Ming army's formation. The huge explosive force tore the soldiers into pieces, blood splattered, and several bloody gaps were instantly blown out around them.

The impact of the iron bullets was so strong that not only did they blow away the Ming soldiers, but also their armor and weapons were thrown into the air, causing chaos.

However, although the front row of Ming troops were blasted with bloody trails by artillery shells, this battle-hardened army did not panic.

The soldiers in the back row quickly filled the positions where they were hit, and the formation continued to advance neatly and orderly, without being disrupted by the artillery attack.

This shows the Ming army's extremely high level of training and discipline, and they were able to remain calm even in the face of death.

The Ming army's artillery was not to be outdone and quickly retaliated.

Those black gun muzzles spewed out balls of flames, and the shells whizzed towards the Qing army positions. The sound of explosions and smoke spread across the battlefield.

Gaps were also blown into the Qing army's front formation, but the Green Camp soldiers trained by Zhong Dingfu quickly filled these gaps and prevented the situation from getting out of control.

The situation on both sides of the battlefield was also very tense.

Although the troops sent by Ajige and Jin Li temporarily curbed the harassment of the Ming army on both wings, the confrontation between the two sides was still full of uncertainty.

The two armies' forces were mutually tied up, and for the time being neither side could gain a decisive advantage.

(End of this chapter)