Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 271 Conspiracy
After inner struggles and weighing of the pros and cons, Duoduo had to succumb to the pressure from the Manchu nobles and generals in Cangzhou City and gave up on letting Hong Chengchou join the secret military meeting that would determine the fate of the Eight Banners soldiers in Cangzhou City.

After all, although Hong Chengchou was highly valued, Duoduo also realized that if he were to be involved in the breakout plan at this time, it might bring more uncertainties.

Of course, the most crucial thing is that his prestige will be affected unprecedentedly.

"Crossing the river is the biggest problem at the moment."

Natak frowned and sighed, deep worry evident in his tone.

"The Ming navy is too powerful, and I'm afraid Subai is no match for them.

If we don't have a clever strategy and don't eliminate or divert the Ming navy, we will probably be forced into the canal and become their prey.

If this problem cannot be solved, any other actions will ultimately be futile."

It has been a year since Natak took over as the commander of the Eight Banners stationed in Cangzhou.

A few years ago, when he heard that the Ming army in the south was rising, he did not take it seriously. He just thought that they were just some local remnants of defeated troops. No matter how strong they were, they would be no match for the Manchu cavalry.

However, three years passed quickly and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

Now, the foundation of the Qing Dynasty is in jeopardy, and he himself is trapped in this city, and may even be buried in the land of Cangzhou.

"Hong Chengchou and Kong Youde were present just now, so there are many things I cannot say clearly.

Now that there are only a few of us, there is no need to hide anything anymore."

Duoduo whispered, his eyes sweeping among the crowd:
“The first batch of troops that broke through the siege was not intended to break out directly, but to lure the Ming army closer.

Once they get close, we will destroy these soldiers and the Ming army together."

Duoduo and Natak planned to take advantage of the Ming army's interception mentality - the Ming army would never let go of any Qing army that might escape, and designed a plan to make a feint to the east and attack in the west.

They hoped to use the Green Camp Army as bait to lure the Ming Army into encirclement, and then launch a desperate offensive to create an opportunity for a real breakout.

The canal outside Cangzhou City is not wide, and its narrowest point is only a few hundred steps.

In other words, if they could gain even a moment's delay, the Qing army would have a chance to successfully cross the river. The hope of breaking out depended on this brief window of opportunity.

"Besides crossing the river, the more difficult problem right now is the Green Camp soldiers and Baoyi soldiers in the city."

Subai complained, his eyes full of annoyance and helplessness.

“If we can’t control them, this breakout will be a joke.

If they were to turn against us on the battlefield, all our plans would collapse in an instant."

Jidu was able to escape thanks to his father's influence, but Subhai was not so lucky.

He was young and energetic, and felt trapped in this crisis with nowhere to escape. His heart was filled with resentment and anger.

"During this breakout, most of the Green Camp soldiers and baoyi soldiers are no longer trustworthy.

Although Kong Youde, Nan Yikui and others appear loyal, they may betray us at any time at critical moments."

Duoduo's face was gloomy, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"But those bondservants who had served the Qing dynasty for many years, especially those whose families were still in Beijing, might still be able to rely on some of them."

He understood that breaking out was not a tactical plan that would allow everyone to escape successfully.

What they can really take away are probably only a few elite troops.

For Duoduo, at this moment he no longer fantasizes about complete victory, but is calculating how to reduce losses and preserve strength.

“Although the plan was to break out with the entire army, being able to take away half of the troops is already a great blessing.

If I return to Beijing with 3,000 to 5,000 bannermen still under my command, this breakout will be considered a victory."

Duoduo's tone was full of helplessness, but at the same time, it also revealed a hint of tenacious hope.

He knew clearly that how many people he could bring back would determine the future fate of the Qing Dynasty and his own status.

When Subai heard this, he nodded silently, his expression slightly relaxed.

Although the breakout plan is difficult, as long as they can cross the river, there is still a glimmer of hope.

The situation in Cangzhou City is already precarious and time waits for no one.

If they do not take action quickly, they may be surrounded and killed in the city by the Ming army at any time.

Natak remained silent and fell into deep thought.

Although he was a senior general in the Qing army, his current situation made him realize that this was not only a military battle, but also a psychological game.

The strength of the Ming army and the hidden dangers within the Qing army made every move extremely dangerous.

"I can't care about so many things now. As long as I can leave, it's a good thing."

Su Bai's face was solemn, and he said in a firm tone:

"As long as we can escape outside the Great Wall, even if we only have 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers left, the Qing Dynasty will still be invincible.

Once we reach Heilongjiang, we can capture some more men to supplement our forces, and then reorganize our army and make a comeback."

He changed the subject, looked at Duoduo, and continued:
"Our original plan was to send 3,000 armored soldiers, 1,000 bannermen, and 3,000 green camp soldiers to launch a surprise attack from the east.

Taking advantage of the terrain, they avoided the siege of the Ming cavalry, tied down the enemy's forces, and even had the opportunity to break through the Ming army's defense line and directly threaten the central army camp in the south.

But now the situation has changed. Most of the Baoyi soldiers and Green Camp soldiers are no longer trustworthy. How should the plan be adjusted? "

Duoduo frowned slightly, and after a moment of thought, he said:

"This army is destined to consume the enemy.

With the current strength of the Ming army, it is almost impossible to penetrate their defenses, but if we can successfully contain them and prevent them from concentrating their forces on the east side, it is possible."

He paused, his eyes firm:
"The key to the problem is how to ensure that these Green Camp soldiers and Baoyi soldiers who may defect at any time do not drag us down.

If they disrupt our formation and the Ming army charges in, we'll be finished."

At the moment, the original plan was that thousands of Green Camp soldiers and Baoyi soldiers should break out from the western waterway with the main force of the Eight Banners.

But now the situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse, and the Manchu generals no longer dare to have any trust in these Han soldiers.

The problem is that before breaking out or deploying, they have to pretend to trust each other.

Otherwise, a fight might break out inside the city, causing the situation to get completely out of control.

At this time, the Manchu and Han troops in Cangzhou City were in an extremely delicate balance.

The Manchus did not trust the Han people, but they had to show their dependence and trust in them to prevent the situation from deteriorating before breaking out and causing mutual losses on both sides.

The Han army was also well aware that the Manchus might turn against them and start a massacre at any time, but they did not dare to act rashly, fearing that they would be slaughtered by the Manchus before the Ming army entered the city.

Therefore, although some of the Green Camp soldiers and Baoyi soldiers in the city had the intention of fleeing, most people and their generals were still watching and remaining restrained for the time being.

The situation was tense, yet there was a hint of fragile calm. Duoduo knew that the Eight Banners troops were already at a disadvantage in terms of manpower, and if internal strife broke out at this time, it would only exacerbate the losses.

Therefore, under his strict orders, the Eight Banners soldiers maintained a high degree of restraint and avoided any unnecessary conflicts.

"After leaving the city, I no longer care about the Green Camp and the Baoyi."

Duoduo said slowly, with a hint of fatigue in his tone:
“They didn’t rebel because they thought we wouldn’t take action and they were afraid of a situation where both sides would suffer losses.

And those sent to the east to contain the Ming army can only really rely on our Manchurian armored troops."

He paused and pondered:
"When they break out, send another three to four thousand armored soldiers to suppress them, drive them towards the Ming army's position, and temporarily hold the enemy back.

As long as the first wave of cavalry can break through the Ming army's defense line, we will be safe for the rest of the journey.

The north was also densely covered with rivers, and the Ming army's cavalry could not exert their full strength in this complex terrain.

Three or four thousand armored soldiers can delay the enemy for a while, which is enough to buy us time to break out."

After saying this, Duoduo sighed deeply.

He knew in his heart that this breakout would be full of risks and sacrifices, but he had no choice at the moment.

The survival of Manchuria and the life of the Eight Banners Army all depend on this action.

In Cangzhou City, the emergency meeting of the Qing army’s top brass was coming to an end.

Dodo, Subai, Natak and other Manchu royal nobles were discussing breakout strategies intensively, trying to ensure that at least five to six thousand Eight Banner soldiers could successfully escape and return to Beijing in the upcoming dangerous battle.

As for the Green Camp soldiers and the Baoyi soldiers, they were already regarded as abandoned pawns and could be used by the Qing army at any time, or become the victims of the Ming army.

Outside the city, Zhu Cilang's Ming army was already ready for battle.

He had already noticed the Qing army's predicament and was waiting for the enemy to break out.

The Ming army's cavalry had ambushed on the main breakout route around Cangzhou, waiting for the moment when the Qing army would fall into the trap.

Duoduo knew clearly that the success or failure of the breakout would determine the fate of the Qing Dynasty.

At this point, he could only go all out and lead his troops in a final attempt to break out.

On the city wall, the Eight Banners soldiers were full of worries, each of them was thinking about how to save their lives in the upcoming breakout battle and return home safely.

The air was filled with uneasiness and anxiety, and everyone understood that the consequence of failing to break out would be death or capture.

Kazakhtai, an Eight Banners soldier, stood on the city wall, looking into the distance, recalling his past battle experiences.

He participated in the "Battle of Huaihe River" and the "Battle of Xuzhou". Both battles ended in failure, but he survived by chance.

Now, this veteran of the Eight Banners, who had fought in many battles, had long lost his initial confidence in the war, especially facing the offensive of the Ming army, his heart was filled with shadows.

War was no longer the glory he had imagined in his youth, but a nightmare of fighting and fleeing.

Now, he is trapped in Cangzhou City. His only wish is to break out and return safely to the outside of the Great Wall. He never wants to be involved in this war in which he suffers repeated defeats again.

Hazaktai was originally supposed to garrison Henan with Ajige. If it were not for fate, he might have died in the battlefield of Gemashan or Hejian Prefecture.

However, he cleverly avoided those dangerous battles with the help of the silver he had accumulated.

When Duoduo mobilized troops from Henan and Shandong to reinforce Northern Zhili, Kazakhtai spent money to arrange for his transfer to Cangzhou for garrison.

Although it is still dangerous here, at least we have temporarily avoided facing the sharp edge of the Ming army.

Kazakhtai is not alone. Wang Zhong, the bondservant who entered the pass with him, is also in Cangzhou City now.

Since entering the Pass, Wang Zhong was promoted to a rank and became a member of the Manchu musketeers, but he still could not escape the oppression of the Kazakhs.

Although their identities had changed in name, the master-servant relationship between them had not really changed, and Wang Zhong still had to serve his old master with humiliation.

"Wang Zhong, when we break out tomorrow night, take advantage of the chaos and come through the east gate. Take all the valuables you can."

Kazaktai whispered, with a hint of vigilance and uneasiness in his eyes:

"Remember, if you get caught by Bayala, blame it on your bad luck. Don't try to drag me down."

Wang Zhong bent over, with a flattering smile on his face, and said flatteringly:

"Master, rest assured. When we break out tomorrow night, the city will be in chaos. I will definitely help you escape and we will never be caught."

"If we are really caught, we can bribe them with some silver. Saving our lives is the most important thing. By then, no one will care about anyone else. As long as we have silver, we can save our lives."

Kazakhtai sighed, his tone full of helplessness and despair:
"If you want to return to the border alive, you need to bring more silver.

Otherwise, even if we escaped the Ming army’s pursuit, we might still freeze to death or starve to death.”

"Yes, master." Wang Zhong continued to nod and bow, not daring to express any objection.

Kazakhtai looked up towards the distant north, his tone becoming increasingly serious:

"When we entered the customs more than a decade ago, almost all the land outside the customs had been emptied. Now when we go back, the land has not yet recovered, and I am afraid that wheat will not be able to be planted in a short time.

If we can’t grab enough food and valuables from the breakout this time, we might not survive back outside. We might have to go to Korea again.”

After he finished speaking, he sighed, his face full of worry about the future.

Hearing these words, a chill passed through Wang Zhong's heart.

He recalled the famine he experienced in Liaodong when he was young. He saw countless people starving to death with his own eyes, and he barely survived by eating wild grass and digging up corpses.

Those painful memories resurfaced in his mind, making him shudder.

After sighing, Kasaktai turned around and said in a warning tone:
"Don't be greedy when breaking out. Staying alive is the most important thing. Once you reach a safe place, the master will not treat you unfairly."

Wang Zhong nodded in agreement hurriedly, but he had his own plans in mind.

He knew that Kazakhstan had never stopped exploiting him and would never stop in the future. Even at the critical moment of breaking out, Kazakhstan still wanted him to take more risks.

In this turbulent situation, he himself has long learned to survive in the cracks.

As night fell, the lights in the city flickered, foreshadowing the upcoming breakout.

The soldiers on the city wall had solemn expressions and the atmosphere was depressing. Everyone was waiting for tomorrow to come.

Kazakhtai was secretly planning his retreat, while Wang Zhong was silently making preparations for a breakout.

Cangzhou City is destined to face a life-and-death bloody battle.

However, they all knew that whether they were Eight Banner soldiers, Green Camp soldiers, or even the bondservants, they were just pawns in this war.

In the end, perhaps only a few will survive.

(End of this chapter)