Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 278 Fierce Battle ()
The mountain wind was howling, and the sound of taut bowstrings echoed throughout the valley. Archers had already prepared themselves on the hillsides on both sides of the mountain path. The heavy arrows whizzed out, flying towards the enemy with a sharp sound that broke through the air.

The soldiers on the hillside raised their round shields, holding them in one hand and spears, swords and axes in the other, and walked steadily, pressing closer to the enemy formation.

Although they are new recruits, these soldiers have been tempered by repeated wars and have undergone upgraded training methods. Not only have they mastered various combat skills effectively, but they also have sufficient material supplies and their combat capabilities are extremely strong.

Although these recruits were new to the battlefield, the hard training had already taught them how to face the pressure of the battlefield.

The armor on their bodies gleamed with a cold metallic light under the firelight, and a silent murderous aura spread among the team.

The eyes of every soldier were filled with determination.

Soon, the soldiers of the two flag teams were divided into the left and right sides. Although there were only more than 60 people, they coordinated seamlessly, like two pieces of nets that quickly closed together.

After dismounting, a dozen or so Eight Banners soldiers tried to suppress the Ming army with arrows, but they soon found that their firepower was completely unable to break through the Ming army's defense line.

The shields raised by the Ming army looked like a solid city wall in the moonlight, and the arrows fell on the shields one after another, making dull thuds.

After a while, the Eight Banners soldiers felt the pressure growing and were outnumbered. They were unable to hold out for long and were repelled.

Leaving behind a bleak fire, the Eight Banners soldiers fled in a panic, leaving behind five corpses.

Their figures quickly disappeared in the darkness, and the Ming soldiers cheered in low voices, but their formation remained as solid as a rock.

At this time, two scouts quickly ran up to Gu Defu, looking solemn and breathlessly reporting:

"Captain, there are at least two thousand Tartar soldiers in retreat, and almost every one of them is equipped with a warhorse. Their fighting capacity is very strong, and they are definitely their elite troops."

Gu Defu nodded slightly, his expression calm. He turned his gaze forward, looking past the dense lines of the enemy. The originally sparse flames had gradually merged into a vast sea of ​​fire.

The visible range in the mountain road became clearer, and through the diffuse smoke, he could vaguely see dark figures in the distance.

At the same time, the sound of horse hooves was like low thunder, coming from far away and shaking the entire valley.

Countless black cavalry surged in the mountain road, approaching Gudefu's position like an endless torrent, and outlines began to take shape in the darkness.

Gu Defu pondered in his heart that the number of enemy troops was far beyond his expectations. It was obvious that the Qing army came prepared this time.

Faced with such a situation, he must not take it lightly.

He quickly turned around and whispered to Mr. Zhang, the general manager beside him:

"Immediately check firearms and ammunition, ensuring all swords, spears, swords, and axes are in combat readiness. The two flank flag teams will immediately deploy their defensive lines, forming a formation against the dense forest, and be extremely vigilant against any Qing army flanking attacks."

Zhang Baizong took the order and left to convey the command.

Gu Defu watched the enemy's fire and began to formulate his next battle strategy. He knew that although the situation was dangerous, it was not without chance of victory.

Soon, the Qing army's first wave of attack began.

Dozens of cavalrymen tentatively rushed towards the Ming army positions, but their charge did not make any substantial progress on the complex terrain of the mountain road.

The Ming army's firearms and ammunition were well prepared, and the first round of firing repelled this wave of attacks. The Qing army obviously realized that such a strong attack would not lead to a breakthrough.

As the Qing cavalry retreated, the sound of military bugles suddenly rang out in the crowd, piercing the silence of the night sky.

Gu Defu looked towards the enemy formation and saw countless Qing cavalrymen dismounting and quickly forming infantry formations.

He was moved. The enemy indeed stopped attacking. They realized that in the narrow mountain road, the cavalry could not launch an effective attack at all, especially facing the strong positions of the Ming army. Any forced advance would put themselves at a disadvantage.

"These Qing soldiers are not stupid either." Gu Defu analyzed calmly.

He knew that the Qing army's cavalry advantage was not of much use on the narrow mountain roads, especially since once a warhorse fell, it would completely block the attack route of the subsequent troops.

For this reason, the Qing army chose to dismount and fight on foot in order to avoid the limitations brought about by cavalry charges.

This form of infantry combat is precisely one of the specialties of the Qing army's heavy armored soldiers. They have good training and equipment, and are also extremely fierce in infantry combat.

At the same time, Gudefu also knew that the current situation was a do-or-die battle for the enemy.

The mountain roads in the north had long been blocked by fire set by the Ming army, and the mountains on both sides were covered with Ming army defense lines.

If the Eight Banners soldiers wanted to break out, their only option was to force their way out from the mountain pass before the Ming army completed their encirclement.

Now, the Qing army is facing not a choice, but a decision that it has to make.

Seeing the enemy gradually adjusting their formation, Gu Defu did not let down his guard.

He glanced across the position, and even though the enemy had dismounted, he remained on high alert.

He knew very well that the Qing army had already figured out the basic situation of their position through the previous exploratory attack, and the next moment would be the moment for the Qing army to launch a real offensive.

"Pass the order down, all soldiers are ready to meet the enemy, musketeers line up, maintain formation, and are not allowed to act without authorization!" Gu Defu ordered in a deep voice.

He knew that every step they took was crucial now, and if they were not careful, the enemy would find a breakthrough.

The soldiers acted quickly, all firearms and swords and guns were checked, and the soldiers' eyes were full of tension and concentration.

The enemy's presence seemed to be very close, and the air was filled with an oppressive feeling of an impending decisive battle.

The two flag teams in the dense forest have also deployed their defense lines, ready to resist any sudden attacks from the Qing army's flanks.

The night wind blew by, and the firelight illuminated the faces of the soldiers. Their figures stood like sculptures in the valley, waiting for orders.

The Qing army's infantry had already formed up their battle array and were pressing forward, preparing to launch a new round of attack.

The silence on the mountain road seemed to foreshadow the coming storm, and the battle was about to break out.

The rumbling sound of war drums echoed in the Qing army's formation, like thunder in the dark night, shaking the silence of the mountains.

The massive Qing army advanced rapidly like an endless tide, its troops dense as a wall and standing like a forest.

The Qing soldiers' flags fluttered in the cold wind, and the griffin patterns on the battle flags seemed to have their eyes wide open, which was chilling.

The general in the distance raised his command sword and waved his hand to give orders. The elite cavalry of Bayala behind him quietly split into two wings, and led the heavily armored soldiers to bypass the front position, trying to break out from the dense forests on both sides of the mountain road and find a breakthrough.

The atmosphere on the Ming army position led by Gu Defu was solemn but orderly.

At this time, about two hundred soldiers had already lined up, ready for battle.

The arquebusiers stood in a row behind the breastwork. More than eighty matches burned slowly in the dim night, and a few clusters of jumping sparks appeared from time to time, as if it was a sign of the coming war.

The firelight reflected on every serious face, and the cold wind carried a faint smell of gunpowder, making people nervous.

Gudefu stood at the front of the team, gazing at the increasingly approaching black wave, his eyes as cold as iron.

He did not panic, but silently counted the steps of the Qing army in his mind and calculated the distance between the enemy and his own position.

The battle situation was perilous, but he knew that his calmness and decisiveness at this moment would determine their fate. At this moment, a powerful roar suddenly rang out in the valley, tearing through the silence of the night.

"Kill the Tartars!"

A deep voice sounded behind the Ming army's position, followed by two deafening explosions that shook the valley - those were two four-pound cannons hidden behind the shields.

The cannons spewed out orange-red flames, and hundreds of buckshot shells suddenly burst out from the muzzles and shot towards the vanguard of the Qing army like a torrential rain. The air was instantly filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and gun smoke.

In the darkness, the shotgun shells lashed out like the Grim Reaper's scythe, ruthlessly harvesting the lives of the enemy. Although the darkness obscured the thick smoke, the power of the shotgun shells was still terrifying.

Two hundred steps away, the front-line soldiers of the Qing army fell down in an instant like grass cut by a sharp blade.

Dozens of soldiers fell to the ground wailing amidst the dull sound of impact, blood and flesh flying everywhere, and their screams drifted in the wind, sounding particularly shrill.

Blood flowed along the stone path, gathering into a dark red stream.

The tragic scene on the battlefield caused the morale of the Qing army to decline briefly. The charging troops slowed down their pace significantly, and some pauses and hesitations began to appear in the chaotic formation.

However, they have no way out.

Under the stern orders from the officers behind them, the Qing soldiers suppressed their fear, mustered their courage, and launched another charge.

The soldiers in the front row were quickly replenished. They continued to advance with roars and more fierce steps, but this courage could not change the reality.

Even wearing heavy armor, these soldiers could hardly withstand the power of artillery.

The lead bullets fired from the four-pound cannons easily penetrated their armor, causing a rain of blood.

The bodies of the Qing soldiers who had just fallen had not yet cooled down when new casualties arrived.

No matter how hard they charged, they could not break through this death zone covered by fire.

The front row was torn apart again, wailing surged like a tide, and the night air was filled with the breath of death.

This narrow mountain road restricted the deployment of the Qing army's forces, preventing them from fully utilizing their advantages.

However, the Ming army's artillery and muskets were even more powerful in such an environment.

Each round of artillery roar was like the sentence of death, which gradually eroded the Qing army's fighting spirit and their morale began to waver in the tragic casualties.

The soldiers at the front were no longer charging fearlessly, but seemed to be increasingly panicked. The order at the front had collapsed, and some soldiers even began to hesitate.

However, in the Ming army's position, morale gradually rose with each enemy defeat.

Although there were only more than 200 of them, everyone had an unshakable belief in their hearts that they would win.

Although the enemy troops were numerous, they had strong fortifications and powerful firepower. Moreover, they had made sufficient preparations for this battle and were not afraid of the enemy in front of them.

"Let them get closer, then we'll fight!"

Gu Defu's voice was low and firm. He knew that the closer the enemy came, the greater their chances of winning.

The narrow terrain of the mountain road prevented the Qing army from deploying at full strength, and the power of artillery and muskets would be fully exerted within this short distance.

After several rounds of artillery fire, more than 200 Qing soldiers had been killed or wounded before they had advanced a hundred steps, and the bodies formed a layer on the ground.

After repeated firing, the approach of the Qing army caused the two hot four-pound cannons to temporarily stop firing. Under the cover of shields, the artillerymen dragged the cannons through the broken breastwork and retreated into the formation.

Looking at the Qing army rolling down the mountain road, Gu Defu immediately ordered the musketeers behind the breastwork to check the ammunition and fuse and prepare for the first round of volleys.

"preparation!"

A loud command broke the silence of the valley, and the air around seemed to suddenly become tense.

The Ming soldiers on the battlefield straightened their bodies in unison, their muskets swaying slightly. Sparks from the tinderboxes shone faintly in the dark night, as if foreshadowing an impending thunderbolt.

"aim!"

Following this command, more than eighty muskets were raised steadily at the same time, with their black muzzles pointing at the densely packed enemies ahead.

Although the musket's sights were not precise, when many muzzles were aimed at the target at the same time, the murderous aura was enough to scare any enemy.

The Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing army on the opposite side held huge shields, shouted war cries, and rushed towards the Ming army positions like a tide.

The soldiers were armed with sharp weapons. Although the shields in the front row provided them with a certain degree of protection, they still felt a little uneasy when facing the dense array of muskets.

The narrow terrain forced the Qing army to appear particularly disorganized during the attack.

They were forced to maintain a tight formation, unable to disperse and prevent the archers and musketeers from providing fire support from the flanks.

The soldiers in the front held their weapons high and continued to advance, but this dense marching formation just exposed their weakness - lack of cover, making them ideal targets for the Ming army's musketeers.

Gu Defu stood at the rear of the position, his eyes fixed on the Eight Banners soldiers rushing towards him.

Although his heartbeat quickened, he remained calm on the surface. He knew he couldn't panic at this moment, as any mistake would lead to his complete defeat.

The enemy was getting closer and closer, and was within the range of seventy steps. This distance was the most deadly for the Ming army's muskets.

"Shoot!" he shouted, his voice filled with unquestionable decisiveness.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of gunfire exploded like thunder in an instant. More than eighty matchlock rifles fired almost at the same time, and the flames from the muzzles lit up the dark night sky.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the valley, and lead bullets rained down on the Qing army positions.

The dense lead bullets ruthlessly tore through the Qing army's ranks, and the enemies in the front row fell down in a large number as if they were hit by a sledgehammer.

Blood splattered and screams suddenly echoed in the narrow mountain path, and the air around seemed to be shaking.

The fallen soldiers pressed heavily on their comrades behind them, becoming a huge obstacle to their advance.

The Qing army's vanguard formation was in chaos for a while.

No matter how strong the shield is, it cannot stop the penetrating power of lead bullets.

Those shields that could not block bullets seemed to have become a burden. The Eight Banners soldiers were forced to slow down their attack speed, and even the soldiers in the back row found it difficult to move forward due to the crowding.

Their shouts were gradually replaced by wailing and chaotic footsteps, and the entire offensive formation fell apart in just a few seconds.

"Kill the Tartars! Kill the Tartars!"

The passion of the Ming army soldiers was completely ignited, and their loud shouts shook the valley.

(End of this chapter)