Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 275 The battle has been decided
"It is all thanks to the master's protection that I have this chance to escape. This is the blessing I earned in my previous life." Wang Zhong immediately flattered, his words full of cautious flattery.

Kazakhtai waved his hand impatiently and said coldly:
"Stop talking nonsense and go, time is running out."

As he spoke, he patted Wang Zhong on the shoulder. This pat made Wang Zhong gasp in pain, and a look of pain appeared on his face.

"What's going on?" Seeing this, Kazakhtai frowned in confusion.

"Master, I just bumped into the corner of the wall when I turned around and ran away to avoid Bayala's inspection." Wang Zhong hurriedly explained, hiding his uneasiness in his tone.

After listening to this, Kazakhtai snorted coldly:

"What an idiot! There's no time to talk, let's go! The vanguard has already left the city, and if we don't leave now it will be too late."

He turned quickly and walked forward with big strides, his steps quick and powerful.

Wang Zhong endured the severe pain in his shoulder and hurriedly followed, but his heart was full of dark thoughts.

He tightly grasped the short axe hidden in his lapel. The axe still had a bloody smell. This was the weapon he had just used to save his life from Bayala.

He looked at Kazakhtai's back coldly and cursed silently in his heart:
"You Tartar dog, your good days won't last much longer. When I find an opportunity, I'll finish you off too!"

Earlier, when Wang Zhong sneaked here from the east of the city, he and two other baoyi soldiers accidentally ran into a Bayala.

Due to years of slavery, the three of them subconsciously knelt down and begged for mercy.

But those Bayalas had no sympathy at all. Even if they took out gold and silver as bribes, they still could not get a trace of mercy.

In Bayala's eyes, these properties were just spoils of war that he could easily seize, and there was no need for any transaction at all.

He only needs to kill these three bondservants, and all the gold, silver and valuables will belong to him.

Seeing his companions fall one after another and blood splattered on Wang Zhong's face, extreme fear instantly woke him up.

While Bayala's long sword was stuck in the neck of another baoyi soldier, Wang Zhong suddenly took out the short axe from his waist and chopped at Bayala viciously.

Although his original plan was to end the fight with a single fatal blow, things did not go that way.

After all, Bayala was the elite of the Qing army. Even though they were attacked suddenly, they still fought back hard. Wang Zhong's shoulder was injured in this desperate fight.

But in the end, relying on his instinct for survival and the favor of fate, Wang Zhong managed to defeat the opponent with great difficulty.

He never thought that he could kill a Bayala, even though it was a sneak attack, but this unexpected victory gave him unprecedented confidence.

He knew in his heart that the most important thing at the moment was to survive, return to the outside of the Great Wall, and reunite with his wife and children.

He would do anything to achieve this goal.

Returning to the Qing army's breakout team, Wang Zhong moved forward with Kazakhtai.

The air around him was filled with tension. In the distance, intermittent sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard faintly. The chaos on the battlefield made him start praying secretly.

He must escape this bloody battle alive.
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At this time, in another place not far from the battlefield, Zhu Cilang was personally directing the battle.

As the commander-in-chief of the Ming army, he did not stay in the central military tent of the camp, but chose to come to the western battlefield to personally observe the movements of the Qing army.

Although he would not fight in the battlefield himself, his presence was undoubtedly the backbone of the Ming army.

Under the cover of night, Zhu Cilang held a telescope and looked at the battlefield in the distance.

Although the night was dark and the firelight flickered, the role of the telescope seemed minimal at this time.

He could only rely on the bursts of gunfire and the occasional flames coming from his ears to barely judge the changes in the battle situation.

The critical moment of this battle has arrived. The Qing army is trying its best to break out, and the Ming army must react quickly to block their way.

The Ming army was well-equipped with firearms, especially muskets and cannons, and had gained a great advantage.

On the western battlefield, flames flickered and the Qing army's breakout troops were constantly covered by artillery fire. However, they still charged forward desperately, as if they had made up their minds to die.

Zhu Cilang was not in a hurry. He waited quietly for the most appropriate time.

As a battle-hardened commander, he knew that opportunities for battle were fleeting, but he also understood that committing main forces too early would not work.

On the other side, Wang Zhong was still following Kazakhtai, listening to the sounds of war drums and gunfire coming from afar, his heartbeat kept accelerating with the rhythm of the battlefield.

A hint of determination flashed across his eyes from time to time, and the murderous intent in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

Kazakhtai did not realize at this time that his most trusted "slave" had already made up his mind and would not hesitate to swing a fatal axe when necessary.

The night wind whistled past, and the flames on the battlefield flickered. In this chaotic battlefield, life and death were only a matter of thought.

As night fell, on the battlefield in the west, the Qing army and the Ming army were fighting a desperate battle.

The Green Camp Army, led by its main generals Kong Youde, Nan Yikui and others, was particularly tenacious.

They led some elite servants and soldiers and successfully broke away from the main force of the Qing army, went around the flank to the periphery of the battlefield, and tried to break through the encirclement of the Ming army.

However, this did not give the Qing army a decisive advantage.

Similar to the situation in the east, although the Ming army had already set up an ambush, the initial confusion made the ambush less effective than expected.

The Qing army resisted stubbornly and fought to the death. Although this was within Zhu Cilang's expectations, he still felt that the situation was difficult.

The Qing army was forced into a desperate situation and fought a desperate battle with its combat effectiveness far exceeding usual levels.

Although Zhu Cilang was confident, he could not help but be vigilant, fearing that Duoduo or Hong Chengchou might set a trap and launch a counterattack when he was not paying attention.

The plains to the west are vast, with abandoned villages and wastelands interspersed, and the flames of war are spreading across them.

Thousands of soldiers fought fiercely in the ruins and wilderness, with flames and shouts of killing rising and falling.

The Ming and Qing armies engaged in a chaotic night battle on this plain crisscrossed with rivers.

Due to the terrain and the darkness of night, the mobility of the cavalry on both sides was greatly reduced, the attack lacked a clear direction, and the battle situation seemed extremely chaotic.

This is one of the reasons why the Qing army chose to break out at night - to use the cover of darkness to avoid the Ming army's superior forces.

At this time, Zhu Cilang received military reports from Chang Denggui in the east.

Although the battle did not go as smoothly as expected, it was still as planned.

Chang Denggui and his troops successfully held back the Qing troops to the east, even luring them into an ambush. Although the situation was volatile, it remained under control.

At the same time, the Qing army's blocking forces in the west were also firmly restrained by the Ming army.

The Qing army originally attempted to break out through the canal waterway, but now it is no longer possible.

Taking advantage of the Qing army's deadlock in the west, the main force of the Qing army in Cangzhou City was forced to rush out in an effort to break out by water. It was this breakout that allowed Zhu Cilang to successfully implement his siege plan.

The breakout left the originally heavily guarded Cangzhou City empty and desolate.

The Ming army, which assembled nearly 10,000 troops in the south, immediately began to prepare for the siege.

Inside and outside the city walls, flames shone, and the Ming army's siege equipment was ready to go, determined to capture this crucial city in one fell swoop.

The Qing army was forced to disperse its forces to deal with the dual pressures of breaking out and defending the city. It was already exhausted, internally disintegrated, and almost unable to recover.

At this time, Zhu Cilang knew that he had taken the strategic initiative.

He relied on his huge military advantage and basically realized his pre-war plan. If Cangzhou City was not so huge, and the Ming army had to disperse its forces to attack various city gates, the situation might have been more favorable.

But no matter what, this battle was a prelude to the victory of the Ming army.

Just as Zhu Cilang thought, this was a battle of annihilation with little suspense, and the Qing army was just fighting like a trapped beast.

The real uncertainty lies in how much combat power the "Eight Banners Army" can still exert.

With the situation in the east, west and south basically stable, Zhu Cilang turned his attention to the Qing army on the waterway.

The main force in the city has already rushed out, trying to escape by water.

The waterway became the last hope of the Qing army, but Zhu Cilang was well prepared for this. His general Zhang Mingzhen had already laid a tight net on the waterway.

Zhu Cilang's navy was powerful, with thousands of warships of various sizes.

In order to guard against the possible fire attack strategy adopted by the Qing army, Zhang Mingzhen also specially mobilized hundreds of small fire attack ships.

These fire attack ships were small and flexible, and could quickly extinguish fires that might be caused by the enemy, ensuring the safety of the Ming army's warships.

Now, the entire waterway has been blocked by the Ming army, and the Qing army's breakout plan has almost no chance of success.

Zhu Cilang did not take it lightly. When the Qing army faced a desperate situation, they would surely launch a final stubborn resistance.

Especially the Eight Banners soldiers, they are the elite of the Qing army. Whether in peacetime combat or in the desperate situation at this moment, their combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated.

Zhu Cilang arranged Zhang Mingzhen's navy to be on high alert, ready to deal with any surprise attacks and counterattacks by the Qing army on the water.

With Zhu Cilang's strong support, the strength of the Ming army navy was significantly improved, especially the outstanding sailors from Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake areas, who became the core backbone of the navy.

They are extremely experienced in naval warfare, especially the elite navy under Zhang Mingzhen, who have been active on the sea for many years and participated in naval battles many times. They are highly skilled in both water control and coordinated operations.

When the Qing army faced this navy, they probably never imagined that they were so powerful, far beyond their initial expectations.

In comparison, the Qing army suffered a complete failure in building its navy.

Since entering the Pass, the Qing army has always been at a disadvantage in water combat. The so-called Qing navy in Cangzhou City is actually just a temporarily assembled remnant army.

Moreover, their supreme commander, Subai, was not a general familiar with naval warfare at all. Naval warfare was actually very unfamiliar to him.

Subai's military career began in the era of Nurhaci. As a veteran with rich experience, he was promoted to Bayala Jiala Zhangjing by Huang Taiji twenty years ago and became a backbone of the Qing army.

After that, Subai participated in almost every key battle after the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass, and followed princes such as Duoduo and Ajige to fight in all directions, especially in front of the rebel army led by Li Zicheng, where he made great contributions.

Subai had personally experienced the glorious period of the rise of the Qing Dynasty. During that period, the Qing cavalry was unstoppable and it seemed that the whole world was under its control.

However, just a few years later, he also witnessed the rapid decline of the Qing Dynasty.

This huge contrast made him feel mixed emotions.

In just five years, the Qing army's military strength plummeted from its peak to the bottom, especially facing the rise of the Ming army in the south, they felt an unprecedented threat.

The southern Ming army, which was once vulnerable, has now grown into a powerful fighting force.

The speed and thoroughness of this change caught the Qing court by surprise, and Su Bai was also puzzled.

After all, how could the Ming army, which was once so weak, revive itself in just a few years and train a field army capable of competing with the Qing cavalry?
What is even more shocking is that in such a short period of time, Emperor Ming managed to organize an elite army of over 100,000 soldiers, whose combat effectiveness far exceeded that of the original Ming army.

Before the Qing court found the answer, the Manchu rule had fallen into an unprecedented crisis.

Today, Subai is in the besieged city of Cangzhou, facing a desperate situation.

According to the course of history, he should have been promoted by Emperor Shunzhi and became the "Grand Minister" five years later, keeping his high position.

However, the reality made him deeply involved in the war. The situation in Cangzhou City was in chaos, and the glory of the past seemed out of reach.

Although he was the commander of the navy appointed by the Qing court, in fact, he knew very little about naval combat.

The reason why the court chose Subai for this position was not because of his achievements in naval warfare, but because of its deep distrust of the Han people's control over the Qing court's naval power.

The Qing court was unwilling to allow Han Chinese to control the navy, but it did not have suitable Manchu nobles with experience in commanding naval battles.

Therefore, only a veteran like Subai with rich experience in land warfare could be appointed to take on the task.

This choice actually laid the hidden danger for the defeat of the Qing navy.

On this battlefield where water meets sky, Subai's advantage is no longer significant.

The Ming navy was not only highly skilled and well-equipped, but also highly motivated and experienced in the trials of sea life, in stark contrast to the soldiers under Subai who had no experience in naval warfare.

Facing such an elite enemy force, Su Bai knew that his navy was not enough to compete with it. Moreover, the supplies in Cangzhou City were gradually depleting, and the internal and external troubles were adding to his pressure.

Despite this, Subai still tried to hold his ground, hoping to rely on the Qing army's tenacious will and rich combat experience to find a glimmer of hope.

As time went on, the Ming army pressed forward step by step, the smoke on the battlefield became thicker and thicker, and the situation in Cangzhou City became more critical.

The morale of the Qing troops in the city was low. They knew that they had no way to escape, while the Ming army outside the city was attacking like a tide.

The Qing army's last hope lay in the waterway, but in the face of the iron wall set up by Zhang Mingzhen, their breakout was doomed to fail.

Zhu Cilang stood on a high place, looking at the battlefield in the distance.

The outcome of the battle was decided, and it was only a matter of time before his tactical plan was finally implemented.

At this moment, the situation in Cangzhou City was hopeless, and the end of the Qing army was imminent.

Whether on the land battlefield or on the water, the Qing army was surrounded by the Ming army.

Although their resistance was tenacious, it was already a dying struggle in the face of the huge advantage in manpower and firepower.

(End of this chapter)