Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 280: Encirclement and Annihilation of the Fleeing Troops
On the water surface in the middle of the canal, the roar of artillery rose one after another, like thunder, echoing in the sky.

Zhang Mingzhen's navy did not immediately engage in battle with the Qing army. Instead, it used more than a thousand large and small warships to form a semi-circular encirclement, continuously bombarding the Eight Banners soldiers who were caught in a dilemma.

All this was like a carefully planned hunt. The Qing army was trapped in this seemingly invisible yet deadly encirclement, and their fate seemed to have been determined long ago.

After multiple rounds of bombardment by nearly a hundred naval guns under Zhang Mingzhen's command, more than thirty Qing army troop transport ships had been sunk.

A few large ships, after being bombarded by dozens of iron bombs, would often be hit by a solid iron bomb weighing more than ten pounds while leaking and sinking, and then be completely destroyed.

The dull roar was like a roar of thunder, stirring up a splash of water and instantly engulfing countless Qing soldiers.

On the river, the panicked Eight Banners soldiers floundered in the water, seeking help.

After falling into the water, many of them quickly threw away their weapons, took off their armor, and desperately searched for overturned boats or even broken wooden boards, just to grab a glimmer of hope for survival.

However, in this war, fate seemed to be merciless to them.

The water was filled with figures struggling to survive, and the waves and screams of terror were heartbreaking.

The Eight Banners soldiers who were still on the ship were suffering from artillery bombardment. They didn't know when they would be sunk, and the fear and anxiety in their hearts continued to grow.

In order to avoid sinking into the endless darkness after falling into the water, dozens of them even took the initiative to take off their armor and reduce their own weight as much as possible, just for a glimmer of hope.

However, in desperation, most of them were hacked to death by Bayala, who was supervising the battle on the ship, in order to boost morale before their ships were sunk by artillery fire.

At this time, although Duoduo was out of control, he was still unwilling to accept this.

He realized that suddenly encountering the main force of the Ming navy in the middle of the river would be a disaster for the Qing army.

But even so, he still chose not to give up and quickly organized a final counterattack, striving to find a breakthrough in the desperate situation.

"Quick, stop them, stop them!" Duoduo roared and gave urgent orders.

While ordering his officers to lead a dozen small boats each to attack the Ming army's fleet, he also ordered his own fleet to break out directly.

At this time, he was still thinking in his heart that as long as he could reach the shore, he would be able to escape this disaster.

The warship cut through the water as it moved forward rapidly, splashing waves. The soldiers' faces were filled with tension and fear, but they also understood that at this moment, only by fighting desperately could they fight for hope of survival.

Duoduo took command personally. Feeling the violent shaking of the ship, he gritted his teeth and tried his best to calm himself and the surrounding soldiers.

He prayed silently in his heart, hoping to find a glimmer of hope in this life-and-death game.

However, the Ming army's firepower remained fierce, shells fell like raindrops, and Qing army ships were constantly hit.

The roar of artillery and the screams of soldiers mixed together in my ears, like a suffocating symphony, playing a movement of despair.

Although Duoduo tried his best to command the counterattack, the morale of the fleet gradually declined as the number of casualties increased.

The soldiers looked at each other, feeling fear and anxiety in their hearts. Many of them even began to hesitate, wondering whether to abandon the ship and escape.

The warship struggled forward amid the artillery fire. Huge waves rolled, creating huge waves. The ship shook violently and the soldiers kept shouting in fear.

Duoduo was almost consumed by anger and despair, but he knew that at this moment, he had to remain calm and sober. He took a deep breath, quickly assessed the situation, and secretly planned his next move.

"Speed ​​up! Break out to the left!" Duoduo shouted, his eyes bright, as if this order could bring a glimmer of hope.

Under his command, the fleet adjusted its direction of travel and tried to find a way to break out.

However, the Ming army's artillery fire was like a tide, and the Qing army's ships were gradually forced into a desperate situation, with no way to retreat.

At this moment, the warship suddenly tilted to one side, and with the violent shaking, many soldiers fell to the ground, and more people panicked with fear.

Han Dai had just witnessed Duoduo's emotional outburst, and he couldn't help but doubt his command ability.

He felt deeply uneasy, fearing that if he continued like this, he might die in the river.

So he quickly turned south with more than 20 ships of his direct line and went downstream.

Duoduo has led the main force to break out and stubbornly resist the Ming navy. Han Dai believes that he will be able to find a way to escape.

He had just witnessed the changes on the battlefield west of Cangzhou City, so naturally he didn't want to stay on the south bank any longer.

The north bank of the canal is so wide that once the Ming army crosses the river, it will be absolutely difficult for them to pursue.

On this chaotic and noisy river surface, once the action begins, no one will care about each other.

However, Kazakhtai and Wang Zhong were not so lucky.

They were on a small boat that could carry more than 20 people. It was nearly overturned several times by the water columns caused by the iron bullets. Fortunately, nothing happened in the end, but everyone on the boat was soaked.

Now, Niulu Ezhen, where Kazakhtai was, received an order that they must rush directly and break through the Ming army's encirclement. As long as they could reach the north bank, the Ming army's navy would not be able to catch up.

The thousands of Eight Banners soldiers remaining on the ship, as well as the thousands of baoyi soldiers who were brought aboard secretly, now had no way to retreat.

Although they knew that such a direct charge was extremely dangerous, they had no choice but to rush forward in order to fight for the hope of survival.

The army under Zhang Mingzhen had already made preparations. When they saw the Qing army react, they rushed towards the sailing fleet and immediately dispatched various warships behind the tower ships to prepare for close combat with the Qing army.

Close combat on water is different from that on land. Being able to adapt to the shaking ship, what weapon combination to use, and how to approach the enemy, overturn their boat, and then kill the enemy who fell into the water from above all require rigorous training.

Not only that, both navies have a large number of crew members who are excellent swimmers.

They were like fish in water and could easily pull the Qing soldiers who fell into the water into the water and drown them, or several people could work together to overturn and pierce the Qing army's small boats.

Compared with the Qing army, Zhang Mingzhen's navy also had a large number of warships. Once these large ships started moving, they could easily overturn the Qing army's small boats just by relying on their huge size.

What's more, with such a huge gap in strength between the two armies, it was almost impossible for the Qing army to break through.

Han Dai's heart was filled with anxiety and uneasiness, and he wanted to use his wit and courage to find a chance to escape.

The river surged, the boat rocked, and Han Dai kept reminding himself to stay calm. At this moment, he had only one way out, and turning back was impossible.

Suddenly, the Ming army on the warships surged like a tide. Han Dai could feel a strong sense of urgency. He roared and ordered his soldiers to paddle hard, trying to speed up.

However, as time went on, the Ming army drew closer, and the glow of fire on the water intertwined with the cries of killing, like a tidal wave about to sweep in. "Quick, charge!" Han Dai roared, his heart churning with the struggle between life and death.

At that moment, he could no longer consider Dodo's orders, nor could he care about the soldiers behind him. He had to survive!

However, the Ming navy reacted very quickly, and several fast warships had caught up.

Han Dai felt a surge of despair and thought:

"Am I going to die here?"

Just when he was in despair, he suddenly heard a loud noise. Han Dai came to his senses and saw that a Qing warship behind him had been overturned. The soldiers jumped into the water and struggled in fear.

The Ming army soldiers surged like a tide and quickly occupied the waters.

"There is no way out!" Han Dai smiled bitterly in his heart. Seeing his comrades around him falling into the water one after another, the situation became more critical.

He paddled desperately, trying to reach the relatively safe waters.

However, the Ming army's ships were approaching like cheetahs, and there was no way to retreat.

With shrill screams, the ships sank into the river one after another, as if a cruel dream was playing out before our eyes.

The boat was swaying, the river was surging, and the choice between life and death seemed particularly acute at this moment.

However, as time went on, the Ming troops continued to pour in from all around, and Han Dai's despair grew stronger.

In the end, he could only watch his comrades being defeated one by one by the Ming navy, and sighed helplessly in his heart.

Han Dai didn't want to die yet. He told himself that he must live. He took a deep breath. Although his heart was filled with fear and anxiety, he did not give up.

He gripped the oar tightly and paddled forward with all his might, trying to break through the desperate waters.

Under the volley of more than eighty muskets and two four-pound cannons, the Qing army's charging troops were like being ravaged by a violent storm, with blood mist rising and team after team of soldiers falling.

The originally bumpy mountain road was filled and raised by the ruthless fighting. The scene of the battlefield became more and more tragic, like a painting full of death, which was chilling.

Gu Defu stood on a high place, staring closely at the Qing army that had been repelled three times, and a hint of surprise emerged in his heart.

Perhaps because there was no way to retreat, the fighting spirit of these Eight Banners soldiers seemed particularly tenacious, as if they were trying their best to fight against fate.

He understood that the outcome of this battle not only affected the outcome of the battle, but also the life and death of each of them.

As time went on, the Qing army finally approached to within thirty steps.

Goodford immediately ordered the four-pound cannons to withdraw quickly, and the musketeers also retreated in formation. Then the soldiers filled up the breastwork and prepared to meet the upcoming enemy.

The atmosphere on the battlefield became increasingly tense, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, making people feel suffocated.

Several fierce Eight Banners officers stepped on the corpses on the ground and charged forward with roars, led by the armored soldiers behind them.

When they rushed to about twenty steps, they took advantage of the fact that the Ming army had just adjusted its close combat formation and immediately seized the opportunity to throw dozens of hatchets and maces at the Ming army's breastwork.

These weapons spun rapidly in the air, like deadly blades, whistling and smashing into the armor of the Ming soldiers, and the breastwork made a ping-pong sound.

Six Ming army soldiers fell down, but the people behind them quickly took their places without any hesitation.

Although the musketeers had retreated to the back, they quickly changed into long spears for close combat, preparing to deal with the impending attack.

Among them, many people have been replaced because the soldiers in front of them were hit on the neck by short axes.

Many of them looked through the gaps and saw the ferocious faces of the Eight Banners soldiers rushing up. They felt nervous and gripped their weapons tightly. Without hesitation, they shot at the first Qing army that rushed up.

At that moment, a raging fighting spirit ignited in their hearts, and accompanied by shouts of killing, they seemed to feel an invisible force driving them forward.

The two powerful armies engaged in a fierce battle on both sides of the breastwork, with death and shouts intertwined like a tragic war song.

Although Gu Defu was a new captain, the soldiers who had undergone standardized training still demonstrated excellent coordinated combat capabilities. Coupled with the advantage of terrain, their combat position was higher than that of the Qing army, causing heavy losses to the Qing army.

Under the command of Gu Defu, the soldiers of the Ming army were full of fighting spirit, never retreated, and fought bravely against the enemy.

However, as the battle progressed, the outside of the breastwork was soon filled with corpses.

Even though the Ming army suffered heavy casualties, the Eight Banners soldiers, under the organization of their officers, continued to launch attacks.

As the corpses piled up, the Ming army lost its advantage of being on high ground, and the battle situation became more complicated and severe.

The soldiers on both sides were extremely excited. The new recruits of the Ming army kept shouting, their morale high, and it seemed that every shout was inspiring each other.

The fierce nature of the Eight Banners soldiers in desperate situations was also reflected in the brutal battle. Although they faced huge casualties, they were still unwilling to give in.

All the commands, shouts, and even wailing were drowned out by the continuous and brutal battles.

Gu Defu's heart was also constantly excited. He knew that only by keeping calm could he guide the soldiers to exert their best combat effectiveness.

He watched the enemy's movements, trying to find an opening to strike back amidst the chaos.

As the Ming army's formation was gradually breached, Gu Defu decisively issued an order: "Musketeers, prepare!"

At the command, the Ming army's musketeers, who were originally deployed in ambush on both wings, quickly adjusted their positions and formed a more compact attack formation.

Gudefu had anticipated the current situation long ago and had dispatched some musketeers for this crucial blow.

At this time, the endless stream of Eight Banners soldiers from behind were like a raging tide, constantly attacking, and the Ming army's defense line was under unprecedented pressure.

"Kill! Kill! Kill—"

With Gu Defu's shout, the morale of the Ming army rose again. The soldiers pointed their weapons at the enemy. The expectation of making great achievements instantly turned into an invisible force, pushing them forward courageously.

At this time, Gudefu also raised the weapon in his hand again, his eyes determined, ready to face the upcoming life-and-death battle.

(End of this chapter)