Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 265 Jin Li's Fear

Zhong Dingfu's thoughts were swirling, and he couldn't help but look up at the battlefield ahead.

The air was filled with smoke, and a row of musketeers in the Qing army's line fired another volley.

But by this time, the so-called volley had become chaotic and was almost the same as the shooting of stragglers.

As the "bang bang bang" sounds of muskets rang out, a new round of white smoke rose on the battlefield, and the pungent smell of gunpowder quickly spread, mixed with the smell of blood.

Zhong Dingfu's vision gradually became blurred, and his sight was blocked by white fog.

He could not clearly see the reaction of the Ming army after being hit by the volley, and could only vaguely hear bursts of screams.

But these sounds were soon drowned out by the deafening shouts and cries of killing.

As soon as this round of shooting ended, the Green Camp soldiers under Zhong Dingfu inevitably caused chaos in their formation when they retreated to reload.

Seeing the situation, the Qing army's armored soldiers rushed forward to fill the defense line, fearing that the Ming army would seize the opportunity to launch a sudden attack and catch them off guard.

Zhong Dingfu's nostrils were filled with the familiar smell of gunpowder. He looked at the chaotic battlefield in front of him, and a trace of despair flashed through his heart.

He asked himself silently:
"Can the Manchus still win this time?"

This question kept echoing in his mind, as if he himself was no longer sure that the Qing army could escape from this purgatory of blood and fire again.

At the same time, Chen Fu was riding his horse in the formation of the Royal Guards Cavalry.

His battle flag fluttered in the wind. The valley breeze blew the big flag with the word "Chen" written on it, and the flag rustled, as if telling the cruelty and ruthlessness of the battlefield.

However, the blood and tragedy before his eyes did not stir up any ripples in Chen Fu's heart.

His eyes were calm and his heart was firm.

With the appearance of General Chen Fu's flag, the surrounding Ming troops suddenly burst into enthusiastic cheers, as if the dawn of victory instantly illuminated the battlefield.

Their General Chen has arrived! The morale of the army is high, and the shouts are deafening, echoing over the battlefield like a landslide and tsunami.

There was excitement in the soldiers' eyes, as if victory would be just around the corner as soon as Chen Fu arrived.

For the veterans of the Ming army, it was no surprise that Chen Fu personally charged into the battle.

In the eyes of these veterans who have experienced countless wars, Chen Fu is second only to His Majesty the Emperor and is the core and soul of this army.

When Chen Fu appeared at the forefront of the battlefield, it meant that the bell of victory was about to ring.

This is the consensus they formed through countless battles - as long as General Chen is there, there is no battle that cannot be won.

Even the new recruits who were on the battlefield for the first time had no doubt about Chen Fu's strength.

In their hearts, Chen Fu is the symbol of invincibility. Like His Majesty the Emperor, the army he leads is invincible.

Amidst the cheers, Chen Fu, riding his horse, seemed to see the future victory.

He seemed to see himself leading the Ming army to defeat Ajige and defeat the Qing general Jin Li.

He seemed to see the grand scene of himself and His Majesty the Emperor working together to besiege Jinan, break through the city of Jinan, and even lead the Ming army all the way to attack Beijing and recover Liaodong.

The smell of blood in the air became stronger and stronger, and the fighting on the battlefield became more intense.

Chen Fu's spirit also became highly excited, as if he had returned to the time when he was fighting in Liaodong.

At that time, even if his troops were at an absolute disadvantage and the army was close to collapse, he was still able to escape alive.

But today, he firmly believed that not only would he not escape, but he would be able to win and stand firm in this battle.

The battle flags whistled and moved rapidly across the battlefield.

As the "Chen" flag continued to advance, the original 600-man cavalry guard team expanded rapidly, and the cavalry scattered across the battlefield gathered under his command like a tide and joined the team.

In the blink of an eye, the team had expanded to more than 2,000 people. On the battlefield, the cavalrymen's helmets surged like waves, forming a powerful cavalry torrent, crushing towards the enemy army.

"Ten thousand victory! Ten thousand victory!" The soldiers shouted the slogan of victory with great momentum.

The cavalry team was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the enemy formation. Wherever it went, the enemy troops retreated, and the battle situation gradually tilted towards the Ming army.

At this moment, Chen Fu seemed to have foreseen his own triumph.

His battle flag fluttered in the air and his warhorse galloped across the battlefield.

He is not only the commander of this army, but also their hope and belief.

On this bloody battlefield, he is a symbol of invincibility, and the victory of this battle seems to have been written by fate on the battle flag in his hand.

The wind in the valley gently blew away the smoke in the air, bringing a strong smell of blood.

In just half a day, the entire valley had turned into a hell on earth. More than 30,000 soldiers fell and nearly 10,000 war horses were killed. It was a veritable "Meat Minced Valley".

Every inch of land was soaked in blood, and the smell of death in the air was suffocating.

Ajige and Jin Li stood on the hillside, looking at the tragic battle situation in front of them. Their faces were as solemn as iron, their brows were furrowed, and their teeth were almost broken.

Several Eight Banners commanders have died in battle, and the situation is extremely critical.

In particular, several generals under Jin Li had already died in the mountains to the north, and the flag leader sent by Dorgon to monitor Ajige also died on the central battlefield.

Seeing that the once invincible elite troops had suffered heavy losses, Ajige felt heavy in his heart, as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.

Although the Qing army withstood the fierce attacks of the Ming army many times in this bloody battle, it was also severely damaged.

Each round of resistance came at an extremely tragic price. The soldiers were already at the end of their strength and were only struggling to hold on with their tenacious will.

The Ming army's attack was not much better. After several advances and retreats, the troops of both sides were almost exhausted.

However, when the big flag embroidered with the word "Chen" was raised again, the morale of the Ming army miraculously revived and they were preparing to launch the final and fatal charge.

"Jin Li, don't wait any longer. Bring your personal guards and follow me to attack! If we don't take action now, we'll have no chance!"

A raging fire of war burned in Ajige's eyes. He gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.

He knew very well that whoever could break through the enemy's defense line first would be able to control the entire battle situation.

It can even be said that the success or failure of this battle is not only related to the immediate victory or defeat, but also to the survival of the Qing Dynasty.

This final blow is a matter of life and death.

But just as Ajige was about to order a charge, Jin Li suddenly stood in front of him, stretched out his hand to grab his reins, and said in a low voice with a heavy face:

"Your Highness, no! As long as there are green mountains, there will be no shortage of firewood.

If we charge in now and fail, how will we escape?"

Ajige was stunned and looked at Jin Li with confusion.

As a veteran, Jin Li has always been calm and composed, and has always put the overall situation first. He was also one of the fierce generals when he was in Liaodong.

His bravery in pursuing Li Zicheng a few years ago was still fresh in people's memory. However, today, at this critical moment of life and death, Jin Li actually flinched?

He couldn't help but wonder why the other party suddenly became so timid at this critical moment?
"If we lose this battle, the Qing Dynasty will be destroyed. Where can we escape to?"

Ajige was furious. He stared at Jin Li with fiery eyes and veins bulged on his forehead.

His voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, and his words were full of anger and doubt.

"As expected, Nikan is Nikan after all, cowardly and useless!"

Ajige suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter full of contempt and cruelty:

"Do you think you, Jin Li, can escape? Hahaha, Emperor Ming will never let you go. He will definitely kill you. You will never be able to escape!"

Jin Li's face turned pale all of a sudden, but he still held the reins stubbornly, with no intention of letting go.

"My Lord, I am not a coward."

He whispered, with helplessness and anxiety in his tone:
"But in the current situation, the Ming army is overwhelmingly powerful. We have fought with all our might and suffered heavy casualties. If we charge hastily at this moment, we will be courting death."

"Seeking death? Are you still afraid of death now?" Ajige shouted, his eyes blazing with anger, as if they would explode at any time.

He had never seen Jin Li so fearful, and the attitude of the veteran in front of him made him extremely disappointed.

Jin Li clenched his teeth, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

He understood Ajige's anger and knew that the outcome of this battle was related to the fate of the entire Qing Dynasty.

But precisely because of this, he was more aware of the current situation - if he rashly launched a general attack, it might completely destroy everyone's life.

"Your Majesty."

Jin Li took a deep breath, raised his head and looked directly at Ajige, his tone calm and firm:
"If we fail, we will be completely annihilated.

The Ming army will not give us any chance to fight back, and Zhu Cilang will not leave us any way to survive.

Rather than risking our lives here, it is better to conserve our strength for now and look for a more favorable opportunity to counterattack."

Ajige frowned again. He was aware of the danger of the situation, but he could not bear to be beaten passively.

At this moment, the morale of the Ming army was already high. If they were not dealt a fatal blow at this critical moment, the Qing army would probably have no chance of turning the tables by the time they had reorganized their forces.

"If we don't charge now, we will be waiting to die!" Ajige slapped his saddle hard, the anger in his eyes had burned to the extreme.

Jin Li remained unmoved and said in a deep voice:

“Your Majesty, although fighter planes are expensive, you must also distinguish between the important and the unimportant.

We may be defeated, but the Qing Dynasty cannot perish. As long as we are alive, there is still a glimmer of hope."

The air was filled with tension and depression, and the wind was still blowing, bringing with it waves of bloody smell.

Ajige's fists were clenched tightly and his eyes were as sharp as a knife.

His heart was filled with anger and unwillingness. Faced with Jin Li's obstruction, he felt an unprecedented struggle.

Finally, Ajige's anger gradually subsided. He took a deep breath and glared at Jin Li fiercely.

"You are right, the Qing Dynasty cannot be destroyed. Let's keep this breath for now.

But remember, if we really can't escape, I will kill you myself."

Jin Li's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice and continued to persuade:
"There's no way out inside the Great Wall, but the Qing still has vast territories outside the Great Wall.

If it really doesn't work, we will withdraw to Liaozhong, or even retreat to Hetuala and Ningguta.

Your Highness, by that time, you will still be the prince of the Qing Dynasty, and I will still be the general of the Qing Dynasty.

But if we act impulsively here today, and we all die on this land, that will be the true demise of the Qing Dynasty."

Although he tried his best to remain calm, there was a hint of anxiety in his words.

Jin Li knew that Ajige was impulsive and warlike. He was worried that if his persuasion was ineffective, the prince might become impatient and directly order him to be executed.

It was precisely because of this fear that Jin Li was more eager to express his loyalty and his words appeared sincere.

"Your Majesty, you are leading several hundred cavalrymen. Even if we charge at the risk of our lives, what can we expect to change?
These troops are of no use in this battle!"

Seeing that Ajige remained silent, he became a little bolder and spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction and anxiety.

Jin Li's words became more and more blunt, almost tinged with anger:
"Even if we manage to win, the best we can do is retreat in a desperate attempt.

These Ming troops and Nikan are no longer the enemies that can be easily defeated as before. Sooner or later, the land inside the Great Wall will no longer belong to the Qing Dynasty!
Why, even at this point, Your Majesty, still can't see clearly?"

He took a deep breath, and his words were filled with deep sorrow.

Jin Li saw clearly that the Qing Dynasty had reached a critical moment. The Han people who could sweep across the country at will in the past had now become powerful enemies that were difficult to resist.

The glory of the past is gone, but the current predicament is as unshakable as iron.

Jin Li's voice became lower and lower, and his tone was full of powerlessness.

He knew that no matter how clear the logic in his words was, if Ajige still refused to change, no amount of persuasion would be in vain.

However, Ajige's silence did not last long.

After a moment, his eyes suddenly became sharp. He turned his head and glanced at the Ming army formation in front of him. Under the fluttering general's flag, more and more soldiers and horses gathered, presenting an oppressive posture.

Just as Jin Li was still hesitating whether to continue persuading, he suddenly felt the reins in his hand tighten.

By the time he reacted, Ajige had already grabbed the reins back into his own hands.

Then, Ajige drew the knife from his waist without hesitation, and the sharp blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"Follow me and charge! Lead the warriors of the Qing Dynasty to break through the defense line of the Ming army and take back the victory that belongs to our Qing Dynasty! Kill all these lowly Nikans!" Ajige's voice resounded through the battlefield like thunder, shaking everyone's eardrums.

Without any hesitation, Ajige took the lead and rushed out on his horse, heading straight towards the Ming army's formation.

Behind him, more than three hundred personal guards followed closely. The sound of iron hooves shook the dust, and smoke rolled, sweeping forward like a torrent in an instant.

Jin Li watched Ajige riding away, and his heart was filled with extremely complicated feelings.

It's not that he lacks the courage to charge into battle, nor is he afraid of death, but he clearly knows that such an action is like hitting a rock with an egg, which is neither meaningless nor promising.

He gripped the reins tightly, and the struggle in his heart was hard to suppress.

This moment of hesitation caused the personal soldiers around him to scatter instantly, and in the smoke and dust, Jin Li's vision gradually blurred.

He watched Ajige and the hundreds of cavalrymen rush forward, rushing towards the Ming army formation that was as steady as a mountain, like moths to a flame, without any retreat.

(End of this chapter)