Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 284 Parties
Five days after the fall of Cangzhou City, the remaining Green Camp soldiers from Shanxi who were still resisting stubbornly defected one after another. Many Green Camp generals were tied up by their subordinates and chose to surrender when they had no other choice.

Li Guo immediately dispatched Li Laiheng and Ta Tianbao to lead two battalions of troops to various cities in Shanxi to receive the surrendered soldiers, and then personally led the main force to attack Taiyuan.

Two days later, the Shanxi defenders in Datong and other places also surrendered in batches.

Li Guo's main force, together with tens of thousands of surrendered Green Camp soldiers, completely besieged Taiyuan City. The defenders in the city initially did not believe that northern Zhili would be fully recovered.

But trapped in the city like this, they were completely in despair.

The atmosphere in the city became increasingly tense, with chaos and devastation everywhere.

In Taiyuan City, groups of chaotic soldiers could be seen everywhere, and discipline was completely gone. The people in the city were in danger and most of them hid in cellars, not daring to show up.

Since Jiang Xiang had surrendered and was taken to Taiyuan, the defenders in the city gave up resistance and military discipline was out of control.

As a result, it was inevitable that the burning, killing and looting in the city became more and more severe, with tens of thousands of civilians killed and injured. The city was in mourning and the scene was tragic.

When the Ming reinforcements from all over Shanxi arrived, they brought the undoubted news that Cangzhou City had fallen.

This news quickly destroyed the last bit of morale of the defenders in the city. A large number of soldiers gave up resistance, either escaping by climbing over the wall or surrendering on the spot.

Not only that, some of the surrendered Shanxi troops conspired with the rebel soldiers in the city to kidnap Jiang Xiang in order to gain merit.

Originally, Jiang Xiang still had a glimmer of hope of escape in his heart, but seeing the critical situation, even some of his personal soldiers began to betray him and defect to the enemy.

He had no choice but to retreat back to his mansion under the protection of a few loyal personal soldiers, and refused to leave, living in a state of panic all day long.

With the assistance of his adopted son Li Laiheng, Li Guo received guidance from the rebel officers and soldiers in the city, and quickly led his troops into Taiyuan City, directly attacking Huanglong, and finally captured Jiang Xiang with his own hands.

In order to intimidate other local forces, Li Guo ordered Jiang Xiang to be taken to the execution ground in Taiyuan City and tortured to death by being cut into pieces. He also ordered all of Jiang's relatives in Shanxi to be executed as a deterrent.

After the fall of Taiyuan City, Chang Denggui led his troops into Shanxi. He was well aware of the importance of Taiyuan, Xi'an and Tongguan, but he was not in a hurry to compete for credit or intervene.

He was not the kind of person who was eager to seek credit and reward, and His Majesty had already sent him a letter to inform him that the national affairs were of great importance and that he would discuss it after returning to Nanjing after the war.

As Zhu Cilang's confidant, Chang Denggui's mind was far from competing for the honor of the world.

During the battle, he had already received clear instructions and formulated strategies to deal with the surrender of the Green Camp army.

Compared with those who are ambitious and eager to expand their power, Chang Denggui appears to be unusually calm.

Real world affairs require wisdom and time to plan, not simple killing and plundering.

Chang Denggui's focus was more on the Mongolian Tartars outside the Great Wall. If their victory could not guard against the latter, it would only be a temporary glory.

However, the Mongolian Tatars have now accepted part of the Eight Banners and the defeated Green Camp Army. Although their strength has been strengthened, there have always been cracks within them.

But those tribes are eyeing the interior of the country covetously and will eventually become a threat in the future.

At this moment, Chang Denggui only needs to wait quietly and observe the development of the situation. He believes that His Majesty's strategy will play the greatest role at the appropriate time.

At this time, Taiyuan City was still shrouded in the aftermath of war.

On the city wall, the battle flag fluttered in the wind, and the people below the city were struggling to survive in the ruins.

Behind the victory, undercurrents are surging and various forces are ready to move.

The situation in Taiyuan was just a part of the turbulent conflict. Chang Denggui watched coldly, waiting for the final evolution of the situation.
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At the same time, in Beijing, the air was filled with a heavy atmosphere, and the streets had long lost their former prosperity and bustle.

Nearly 10,000 Manchu troops and more than 100,000 of their people began a difficult evacuation. They abandoned the elderly, weak, sick and disabled, and hurriedly set off with more than 200,000 Han slaves looted during this period, preparing to return to Liaodong.

Before this, they captured hundreds of thousands of Han Chinese bondservants and used them as slaves.

However, with the continued resistance of the Northern Zhili rebels and the internal cooperation of some bannermen, many slaves successfully escaped the clutches of the Qing army.

Dorgon's originally expected "Three Alls Policy" did not achieve the expected results in this land.

At first, the Qing army raided the two prefectures around Beijing, taking advantage of the people's unpreparedness to loot a large amount of supplies and civilians.

However, with the strenuous resistance of the rebel forces in various places, especially under the firm protection of the anti-corruption Green Camp, the situation gradually changed.

The Qing army's advantages were gradually lost, especially the increasing number of casualties, which made the army, which was already short of manpower, feel fearful and no longer had the previous aggressive offensive intention.

The Qing army had no choice but to succumb to reality and began to plunder the rural people who had no time to escape, but what they gained was very little, far less than expected.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Huangji Palace was solemn.

Dorgon, the regent of the Qing Dynasty, stood in the hall with a gloomy face, bloodshot eyes, and a look full of anger and confusion.

Dorgon once wondered whether he should become emperor after he had a son, but now this idea has been destroyed by repeated failures.

Faced with successive blows, he almost lost his prestige and confidence in his rule. If it were not for the deaths of several core figures in the royal family, Ajige and Duoduo, he would have fallen into an even deeper crisis.

Even so, he understood that the situation of the Qing army was already precarious, and whether Liaodong could retreat smoothly was an unknown.

He couldn't understand why the Ming Dynasty, a once fragmented dynasty with only half of its territory left, became even more powerful in the end?
Why are those people who once surrendered to the Qing army and shaved their heads and tied their braids now raising the banner of rebellion?

How did the situation change from a sure victory to the current defeat in just a few months?
Dorgon's heart was filled with endless doubts and resentment.

He slowly closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down, but his mind was still filled with resentment and helplessness.

He was once a hero of the Qing Dynasty, leading his troops to fight in many battles and winning countless honors for the emerging dynasty.

However, now, he stood on the brink of defeat, watching the record he once prided himself on gradually crumble.

"Master, the time has come. It's time to set off." The personal eunuch standing beside him reminded him cautiously. His voice was still sharp and piercing, but with a hint of anxiety and urgency.

Hearing this, Dorgon's face darkened. He opened his eyes, and a flash of fatigue and disappointment flashed across his eyes.
Standing on the high platform of the Imperial Palace, his steps were heavy, but he had to step forward. The moment he stepped over the threshold, he couldn't help but look back at this palace that he had dreamed of and put so much effort and hard work into occupying.

This building, which symbolizes power and glory, now seems so distant and unfamiliar to him.

A complex emotion suddenly arose in his heart. This palace was once a symbol of his power and the stage for his dream of becoming the ruler of the world.

However, now he could only leave with a heart full of regret and anger, and he would never have the chance to set foot here again.

"Let's go." Dorgon said in a low voice, his voice full of powerlessness.

He turned around, never looked back, and hurriedly left the steps of the Huangji Palace.

The wind whistled past his ears, his footsteps gradually became quicker, and a chill seemed to surge in his heart.

"The Qing Dynasty is gone, the Qing Dynasty is gone..." he muttered.

This sentence was like a shadow that had been hanging over his heart and had become a frequent nightmare for him recently.

This nightmare lingered, as if reminding him that the empire he had worked so hard to consolidate was falling apart bit by bit.

As he moved away from the Huangji Hall step by step, the Qing army began to march slowly, and a solemn atmosphere enveloped the entire road outside Beijing.

Those captured Han slaves had numb expressions as they walked behind the Qing army, being driven like zombies. There was no hope in their eyes anymore, only numb acceptance of their fate.

Dorgon rode on his horse, scanning the troops with a cold gaze, his heart filled with bitterness.

He once confidently believed that he could stabilize this land. However, the current situation forced him to admit that the situation was completely out of his control.

Along the way, the cold wind was blowing, and the Qing army and the Han slaves struggled to move forward in the direction of Liaodong. The land under their feet seemed to be mocking their embarrassment and helplessness.

Dorgon's eyes gradually became empty and his mind was in chaos. He had to face the reality that he was most unwilling to face.
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"General, His Majesty has sent Zhang Huangyan to lead the troops north to Beijing, and he himself will be stationed in Cangzhou!" Li Laiheng hurriedly received the latest military report and immediately came to report to Li Guo.

Li Guo heard this and thought for a moment before saying:
"It was so fast! Your Majesty's troops are so powerful! Not to mention the elite soldiers and cavalry, even the sailors on the ship can slaughter the Tartars and route them completely."

He paused and continued:

"I just heard about the Qing army's breakout that night. Your Majesty's newly formed contingent of two or three hundred soldiers forcibly blocked over two thousand elite soldiers from the Eight Banners and prevented them from successfully breaking out..."

Li Guo knew very well that even if his troops were the most elite, even if they were fully armed, they could only barely fight a draw against the pure elite of the Eight Banners.

"Saying it was a draw was just self-deception. In reality, where was there any concrete record of the battle?" Li Guo sighed inwardly.

He understood that even though he had a strong army, he had never achieved a complete victory when facing tens of thousands of Eight Banners main forces alone.

In fact, history has repeatedly proved that the Zhongzheng Battalion was indeed unable to compete head-on with the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty in its later period, not to mention the Zhongzheng Battalion which was reorganized from the remnants of the Dashun Army under his command?

In the original history, the Zhongzheng Camp lacked weapons, equipment and logistical supplies, so how could it take up the banner of anti-Qing?
Now, Li Guo and Gao Yigong have successively captured Shaanxi and Shanxi, Jiang Xiang has been killed, and the situation in the northwest has been temporarily stabilized.

But at this moment, His Majesty suddenly ordered Zhang Huangyan to lead his troops north. Li Guo knew the intention behind this very clearly.

"This is clearly to train Zhang Huangyan!" Li Guo thought.

The political prestige of retaking Beijing was far greater than that of Cangzhou, which had once been the capital of the Ming Dynasty and was now the heart of the Qing Dynasty.

If Beijing could be recovered, it would not only mean the complete expulsion of the Manchus, but would also become an important symbol of the anti-Qing and restoration of the Ming Dynasty.

"Although His Majesty is not going north in person, sending Zhang Huangyan is enough to show his intentions." Li Guo thought as he ordered to contact Gao Yigong.

Anyone with a bit of political sensitivity can see that His Majesty's personal presence in the Central Plains is obviously intended to contain certain forces. At the same time, Zhang Huangyan, who went north to fight, is also an important chess piece in this game.

At this time, in another camp in Huguang, Ai Nengqi said dejectedly:

"Your Majesty's soldiers are too strong. We can't match them no matter what..."

Sun Kewang looked at him and wanted to say something, but ultimately did not open his mouth.

He also received news of His Majesty's victory in the Battle of Cangzhou. In that battle, the Ming army led by Zhu Cilang annihilated thousands of Eight Banners soldiers, as well as thousands of Baoyi and Green Camp soldiers, while their own casualties were only a thousand, and there were only more than two thousand wounded.

Sun Kewang's inner complexity is self-evident.

At this time, Li Dingguo, who had been transferred back from the southwest and was preparing to go north, also said in a deep voice:
“It’s not that our generals are incompetent. I’ve never even heard of the names of Chang Denggui, Chen Fu, Zhang Mingzhen, etc., so they can’t be considered that powerful.

But when we fought against the Ming army and won great victories time and again, could they compare to us?"

He paused and sighed:
"But their soldiers are so strong, I have no idea how they were trained. We train our troops in the same way, but... the results are very different."

Li Dingguo's tone was full of confusion and helplessness. He recalled the scenes of his past victory over the Ming army, as if those victories were still vivid in his mind.

As Sun Kewang listened to Li Dingguo's words, he couldn't help but recall the glorious days when they followed Zhang Xianzhong in Nanzhili, Jiangxi, and Huguang.

At that time, the army under Zhang Xianzhong defeated the main force of the Ming army in the south many times and achieved great military achievements.

But now, facing such a powerful Ming army, they seemed to be facing a completely different army.

Now, even though they received formal training in training and strategy and tried their best to imitate the Ming army, due to different supply standards, their combat effectiveness was still stretched when facing a real battlefield.

However, Sun Kewang understood that when they chose to accept the amnesty, such thoughts should no longer have appeared in their minds.

After all, they are now all soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.

There are many things that can only be thought about, or even not thought about at all.

Although he, Li Dingguo, Ai Nengqi and others had heavy troops under their command, they were still somewhat uneasy, and the power they could rely on was gradually lost in such a comparison.

(End of this chapter)