Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 295: Enemy Situation Outside the Pass
After Dorgon and Jirgalang led the remaining Qing troops to withdraw to the outside of the Great Wall, they joined forces with the Eight Banners Army stationed in Liaodong, and reassembled a team of nearly 20,000 people.

In order to quickly replenish their troops, they also forcibly recruited some people from various ethnic minorities in the Northeast.

However, there were only more than 15,000 elite soldiers who were truly capable of fighting. The rest were new recruits aged 15 or 16, "veterans" aged 50 or 60, and some young men from ethnic minorities who were temporarily captured. They were simply not capable of real combat.

In addition, they forcibly conscripted more than 50,000 bondsmen from the hundreds of thousands of captured civilians.

These people lack practical combat experience and have almost no field combat capabilities. At best, they can be used to defend the city.

In addition, there are more than 10,000 Green Camp troops under Shen Yongzhong and others. These soldiers have slightly stronger combat effectiveness and come from the Dongjiang Army. They are similar to the Dongjiang soldiers under Shang Kexi and Kong Youde. They are all relatively strong combat troops.

However, faced with such a situation, the Qing Dynasty had lost the support of Outer Mongolia.

The Mongolian tribes had long been unwilling to contribute to the Qing court, and even secretly coveted it, thinking about when to come and plunder and avenge their past grudges.

They knew very well that the Qing Dynasty was now internally empty and had long been unable to sustain itself, let alone think about conquering the world.

During his retreat, Dorgon destroyed the northern part of Northern Zhili and the Liaoxi Corridor.

Liaodong has become a wasteland, with a declining economy and abandoned farmland.

They even brought the war to Korea, took advantage of the chaos to plunder, and stole a large number of firearms and food, thinking that with these spoils, they could rest easy for a while.

However, would Zhu Cilang let Dorgon get away so easily?

It is even more unlikely that he would give the Qing Dynasty any chance to breathe.

After six months of careful preparation, Zhu Cilang had assembled an army of more than 50,000, ready to set out from Shandong, cross the sea and reach Liaodong, intending to defeat the remnants of the Qing Dynasty in one fell swoop.

At the end of October of that year, Zhu Cilang received an urgent report from Zhang Huangyan in Dengzhou while he was far away in Nanjing.

The report mentioned that the Qing army in Liaodong was frequently mobilized and was suspected of being divided into other places, and the situation was very abnormal.

Zhu Cilang immediately realized that the Qing court was very likely to send troops to attack Korea, on the one hand to replenish food and grass, and on the other hand to recruit Korean musketeers.

But the specific combat deployment remains unclear.

Although he could speculate on the Qing army's overall intentions, he could not accurately determine when the specific offensive would be launched, who would lead the army, and how many troops would be dispatched.

In the wars of this era, the transmission of intelligence was extremely slow, and many situations were often difficult to learn in a timely manner.

Intelligence gathering before the war was even more difficult. Even if one could barely detect some movements through the Tangma scouts, it was difficult to accurately grasp the enemy's true strength and weapons and equipment.

The fog of war often leaves decision-makers in the dark, forcing them to rely on vague assumptions and limited information to respond.

However, Zhu Cilang had already anticipated that the Qing Dynasty would not be willing to retreat.

When Dorgon retreated outside the Great Wall, although he assembled more than 20,000 troops, more than half of them were old, weak and disabled soldiers, and most of them were new recruits with limited combat effectiveness.

In contrast, although Zhu Cilang's army had not been assembled and trained for a long time, its morale was high and the quality of its soldiers was relatively good.

Moreover, since Zhu Cilang's Ming Dynasty regime had gradually stabilized and the financial situation had improved, the army's weapons, equipment and material supplies were more sufficient than those of the Qing army.

At this time, Dorgon was making a desperate attempt to alleviate his crisis outside the Great Wall by attacking Korea, and even intended to use the spoils of war to further consolidate the Qing Dynasty's foundation in the Northeast.

However, Zhu Cilang's relentless pressure forced him to disperse his forces, making it difficult for him to gather enough troops to maintain defense along the entire line.

Zhu Cilang's plan was not only to defeat the remnants of Dorgon, but he also hoped to completely destroy the power base of the Qing Dynasty through this Liaodong expedition.

To this end, he specially selected a well-trained navy and prepared to cross the sea to attack.

The war situation changed rapidly, and although Zhu Cilang's expedition plan was well prepared, it was also full of risks.

The terrain of Liaodong is complex, and coupled with the information asymmetry between the enemy and us, unexpected situations may occur at any time.

But only by completely resolving the Qing Dynasty issue can we clear the final obstacle to the revival of the Ming Dynasty.

Just as the situation in Liaodong was tense, the Mongolian forces far away in the northern grasslands also began to stir.

The Outer Mongols were unwilling to be oppressed by the Qing court anymore, so they took advantage of the opportunity when the Qing army was forced to split up and quietly gathered their forces, preparing to invade the territory under the control of the Qing Dynasty again.

Dorgon's situation at this moment was on the verge of collapse. Under attack from both inside and outside, the remaining troops in his hands could no longer support a comprehensive defense.

This is the best time to defeat the Qing Dynasty.

He ordered Zhang Huangyan to seize the time and speed up the assembly of the expeditionary force, while continuously sending out scouts to further spy on the movements of the Qing army.

As the situation gradually became clear, Zhu Cilang had already made up his mind to destroy the Qing Dynasty in one fell swoop on the Liaodong battlefield.

I dare not. The situation in Liaodong has always been complicated and changeable, especially since it is across the sea from North Korea and the distance is far away. There are still large uninhabited areas between Liaodong and the interior of the country. Information transmission is often delayed, and many intelligence cannot be obtained in time. We can only make judgments after things happen.

Now, the Qing court has launched a series of deployments in Liaodong.

Dorgon gradually strengthened his control over Liaodong, but the defense of Fuzhou, Gaizhou and other places still had to rely on a small number of regular field troops and some bondservants who were forced to assist in the battle.

The supply of food and fodder has always been a problem, and supplies on the front line are extremely tight.

These local forces that were affiliated with the Qing court had long become part of the Eight Banner Army.

The main force of the Qing army had retreated into the pass in the previous battle. These people had almost no hope of entering the pass again, but they still chose to stay under the Qing court.

However, no one is sure whether this hastily assembled army can withstand the surprise attack of Zhu Cilang's army.

It can be said that the current situation is far more critical than a few years ago, and it can even be said to be full of crises.

Zhu Cilang's navy was still extremely powerful, especially in terms of deploying troops. If the Qing court was not careful, it would be very likely to face the risk of total collapse.

Precisely because they were deeply aware of this, Dorgon and Jirgalang had to speed up their pace and deploy troops in Fuzhou and Gaizhou more than two months in advance, trying to gain a strategic advantage as soon as possible.

On the other hand, Zhu Cilang had already planned a full-scale attack on Liaodong and deployed a plan for a decisive battle with the main force of the Eight Banners of the Qing army led by Dorgon.

The morale of the Ming army is currently high. They have mobilized corvée laborers from all over the country and distributed food and fodder as well as rewards. Hundreds of thousands of laborers recruited from all over the country are working hard to build fortifications and prepare food and fodder. The preparations for the entire decisive battle have encountered almost no major resistance.

It can be said that the Ming army was fully prepared and was just waiting for the horn of decisive battle to be blown.

In this battle, Zhang Huangyan's central army was once again listed as one of the main attacking forces.

Zhu Cilang made proper arrangements for defense in various places. He drew elite troops from various armies to form a new force to strengthen the power of frontal combat.

This new army could not only undertake the main attack but also provide support at critical moments. As for the troops under Chang Denggui and Chen Fu, Zhu Cilang placed them on the flanks to contain the Qing army's encirclement and serve as a reserve force for the decisive battle.

Because the Central Plains War consumed a large number of troops, the troops in Zhu Cilang's hands were no longer able to launch a full-scale expedition to Liaodong according to the organization. Therefore, he had to reorganize the troops to maximize the role of existing resources.

To this end, Zhu Cilang particularly emphasized the use of firearms.

He planned to closely coordinate the firearms units of the army with the archers and infantry soldiers, adopt a coordinated combat approach, and form a powerful combat capability by complementing the advantages of multiple arms.

This strategy was not only to make up for the shortage of troops, but also to deal with the Qing army's field combat capabilities.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that the Qing army was extremely powerful in field battles.

If he rashly advanced deep into enemy territory, especially in the area north of Gaizhou in Liaodong, he still had certain concerns about the performance of the main force of the Ming army.

The geographical environment of Liaodong is complex, especially the mountainous area north of Gaizhou, where the terrain is dangerous, the climate is harsh, and the combat conditions are extremely unfavorable.

Although Zhu Cilang had a local advantage, he had to act cautiously. He needed to ensure that the army's logistical supplies were not cut off, and at the same time he had to be vigilant against the Qing army's counterattack and encirclement at all times.

After all, Dorgon and Jirgalang were no ordinary men. Although the Qing army under their command had been defeated many times, the remaining elite Eight Banners still possessed a certain combat effectiveness.

Especially in defensive battles, the Qing army was good at relying on terrain to launch protracted wars, which forced Zhu Cilang to be more cautious.

Zhu Cilang was not only responding to the Qing army's defensive deployment, but also gradually weakening the Qing court's control through a series of military and political measures.

The most important of these was to tap into potential supporters in the Liaodong region by reducing the power of the bannermen.

Only by gaining more insider support and intelligence in the war can we pave the way for the upcoming decisive battle.

In this battle, the Ming army ultimately had the upper hand.

As long as Zhu Cilang can seize the opportunity and use the resources at his disposal correctly, he will have the opportunity to completely destroy the Qing court's power in Liaodong and extend the territory of the Ming Dynasty to the northeast.

The outcome of this battle is related to whether the Ming Dynasty can be completely revived, and whether Zhu Cilang can truly realize the great national vision in his heart.

Now, Zhu Cilang's deployment is flawless. He and his generals have repeatedly considered every offensive and defensive strategy, striving for caution and not rushing for success.

Now, time is on his side, and the longer it drags on, the better it is for him.

After long-term efforts, the overall situation has gradually improved and the situation has become increasingly clear. The Qing army is very likely to be dragged down in such a war of attrition.

Therefore, the ones who should be really anxious should be the Qing army, not him.

As a battle-hardened commander, Dorgon naturally understood this well.

He knew very well that after the great war in the Central Plains, the Ming army would not be able to mobilize an army of more than 100,000 in the short term.

At present, the two sides have been in a standoff for nearly three months on the Shandong to Liaodong line, and the deployment of troops has been constantly adjusted.

But apart from Li Xiaolin leading the navy to capture Port Arthur in Liaodong and several islands in Bohai, the main forces of both sides did not launch any substantial offensive.

The reason is obvious: Zhu Cilang could afford failure in this battle, but Dorgon absolutely could not.

If Zhu Cilang fails, the worst that can happen is that he can regroup and fight again next year.

However, if Dorgon was defeated, not only would his military reputation be ruined, but all the crimes he had accumulated would be counted on his head, and even his position and life might be in jeopardy.

Therefore, in order to stabilize the rear, Dorgon urgently mobilized more than 100,000 captured civilians and built a large number of defensive fortifications on the outskirts of Gaizhou and Fuzhou.

These fortifications included obstacles such as sheep-horse walls, chevaux de frise, and horse traps, and were also covered with antler wood and caltrops, forming a tight defense line.

In order to deal with the Ming army's field offensive, Dorgon set up ten camps outside the most important Gaizhou City.

A two-zhang-wide trench was dug outside each camp, and the inside of the trench was reinforced with wooden walls and compacted with sand.

Gun holes were dug on the city walls, and cannons were placed in the brick and stone moats, providing layers of defense.

On the outside of the trench, there were dense wooden stakes erected, connected by long nails, forming a solid line of defense.

The outside of the wooden stakes were covered with bamboo sticks, thorns and caltrops, making it an iron wall that was almost impenetrable.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang relied on the advantage of the navy and used the islands occupied along the coast as a springboard to continue to spy on the Qing army's deployment through reconnaissance sentries and spies.

After a month of reconnaissance, the top leaders of the Ming army also had a certain understanding of Dorgon's defensive fortifications.

Faced with such a tight arrangement, it would be a pipe dream to want to defeat the Qing army in one fell swoop through a surprise attack.

Therefore, the commanders of the Ming army had to readjust their tactics and decided to concentrate their main combat forces on field battles, striving to engage in a head-on decisive battle with the Qing army in open areas.

Zhu Cilang was very clear that under such circumstances, attacking Dorgon's defense line by force would be tantamount to humiliating himself.

Dorgon's defensive strategy made his defense line like an impenetrable wall of steel, and Zhu Cilang did not intend to launch an offensive rashly.

Instead, he decided to continue delaying time and further deplete the Qing army's manpower and resources.

Time is his most powerful weapon, and the pressure Dorgon faces will only increase day by day.

In order to continue to exert pressure, Zhu Cilang ordered the navy to continuously harass the Qing army's supply lines, cut off their communication with the rear, and force the Qing army to be trapped in the fortifications and wait for reinforcements.

At the same time, the Ming army was also accumulating strength, adjusting its positions, and gradually narrowing the distance with the Qing army.

Zhu Cilang was not in a hurry to launch a decisive battle. Once the Qing army's logistical supply had problems, no matter how strong their positions were, they would not be able to hold out for long.

Dorgon also understood this. Although his defense line was unbreakable, the supply of food and grass became a major concern for him.

The Qing army was unable to maintain defensive fortifications of this scale for long, and the logistical pressure was increasing.

Although he tried his best to allocate supplies, the Qing army's supply lines could collapse at any time facing the constant harassment of the Ming army.

Once the supply was cut off, these fortifications would become cages for the Qing army, trapping them in their strong positions.

Dorgon was unable to change the situation and had to continue to hold his ground within the defense line.

But as time goes by, the Ming army's encirclement will only tighten, and the Qing army's situation will become more and more difficult.

Zhu Cilang was not in a hurry to launch a general attack. He wanted to let Dorgon slowly collapse on the silent battlefield until he could no longer hold on.

(End of this chapter)