Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 299 Fierce Battle

Lin Erbao had already completed the reconnaissance mission near Fuzhou and had a clear grasp of the basic deployment of the Qing army. He was planning to return to his base camp on Changsheng Island.

However, the battle plan changed temporarily and the command suddenly asked him to scout the situation north of Fuzhou again, which forced him to change his route and head north.

Although this task was difficult, it was still within his ability to bear.

However, unfortunately, on his way back, he was accidentally discovered by the Qing army's armored soldiers.

In order to cover his retreat, his two close followers quickly dispersed, attracted the enemy's attention, and deliberately advanced in a swagger along another path.

However, perhaps because Lin Erbao's outstanding temperament was too conspicuous, it aroused the enemy's vigilance. The five Qing soldiers actually broke through his cover and chased him directly.

Lin Erbao's heart sank slightly, and he secretly regretted that he had advanced too deep into the enemy territory alone, resulting in encountering the enemy in this desolate wilderness.

He knew that if he had brought a few more people with him, he would not have been forced into such a dangerous situation.

Unfortunately, there is no room for regret on the battlefield.

After fighting for so many years, what kind of crisis have you not seen?

His experience and courage had long been tempered like steel, and this situation was just another test.

He knew that it was normal for scouts of the two armies to clash and fight during a war.

Since the Liaodong Campaign began, in just over a month, the number of scouts killed in battle between the Ming and Qing armies has exceeded fifty.

This kind of brutal life-and-death confrontation has long become a common sight.

The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer behind him. Lin Erbao ran quickly while glancing back with his peripheral vision.

As dusk deepened, the shadows of people and horses became blurred in his sight. He could only rely on the rhythm of the horse's hooves to judge the distance of the pursuers.

Although it was getting dark and the surroundings were desolate, he thought that with the help of the terrain and the night, he had a chance to escape pursuit.

But at the last critical moment, the enemy still held on to him.

Lin Erbao's eyes darkened, he had already made a decision.

As long as he could rush into the dilapidated village ahead and use the cover of darkness, he would have a great chance of escaping in the chaos. It would be impossible for only five Qing soldiers to blockade the entire village.

Moreover, even if he really couldn't escape, the Qing cavalry would inevitably be limited in this unfamiliar abandoned village. Relying on the terrain, he was confident that he could defeat the pursuing enemies one by one.

In the pitch-black wilderness, a figure moved quickly in the strong wind, like a swift cheetah, with the rumbling sound of horse hooves coming from behind, chasing closely.

A few disturbed wild birds suddenly flew up from the grass, making shrill chirping sounds, which also exposed his whereabouts.

Lin Erbao's heartbeat quickened and his breathing became heavy, but his eyes showed a calm determination.

He was getting closer and closer to the dilapidated village and could vaguely see a half-collapsed earth wall. As long as they climbed over this wall, the Qing cavalry would lose their advantage.

Lin Erbao gritted his teeth and tried his best to speed up, taking every step steadily and powerfully.

At this moment, a clear bowstring sounded, and there was a "buzzing" sound in his ears. Lin Erbao quickly leaned over, twisted his waist violently, and fell forward.

He judged the direction of the arrow almost in an instant, and rushed out like an arrow from a bow, barely avoiding the fatal blow.

"Clang—" A sharp sound of metal friction pierced the night sky. An armor-piercing arrow passed over his head and almost pierced his shoulder, causing sparks.

Immediately afterwards, several arrows followed one after another, cutting through the night sky and shooting towards him.

Lin Erbao didn't dare to stop. He rushed forward with his legs. Several arrows hit the earth wall behind him. Dirt and debris flew everywhere, making a muffled sound.

Amidst a cloud of dust, Lin Erbao climbed over the half-collapsed wall. He quickly lay on the ground, his ears pressed to the ground, catching any movement.

The night wind whistled in his ears, bringing a hint of chill.

He knew that the cavalry's footsteps had become chaotic in the dilapidated village, which was exactly what he wanted.

Lin Erbao no longer hesitated. He quickly climbed up with the cover of the wall and walked around the narrow alley with light and swift steps.

Instead of running directly into the depths of the village, he deliberately made a big circle and sneaked in through the back door of a dilapidated house.

He knew that the Qing soldiers would think he had hidden deep in the village and would not expect him to choose to go in the opposite direction.

The dilapidated house was filled with dust and the rotten wooden beams could collapse at any time.

Lin Erbao squatted in the corner, controlling his breathing to prevent any sound from leaking out.

He tilted his ear slightly and heard the footsteps of the Qing army gradually approaching from the other side of the village. It was obvious that they had been successfully lured away by him.

At this moment, time seemed to be extremely long. Lin Erbao's whole body was tense, his hands tightly gripping the dagger at his waist. He felt that every second was a struggle on the brink of life and death.

A moment later, he heard the Qing army talking in low voices in the distance, and then the footsteps gradually faded away. He knew that they had been completely misled.

Lin Erbao seized this opportunity and quietly slipped out from the other side of the dilapidated house, sticking his whole body to the wall to avoid the blind spot.

He didn't care about the severe pain of his armor falling to the ground, and he didn't know where the bow in his hand fell.

Gritting his teeth, he supported himself with his hands and quickly stood up. With his body slightly bent, he took cover of the earth wall and ran into the depths of darkness.

His feet stepped on the thick fallen leaves, making a rustling sound. The subtle sound was particularly harsh in the silent night, ruthlessly exposing his whereabouts.

Suddenly, a loud bang exploded beside his ears! An axe spun in the air and whizzed past his head, bringing with it a sharp gust of wind.

The axe finally hit the earth wall on his left.

The already shaky earth wall cracked with a sound, and then with a loud bang, more than half of it collapsed.

The flying mud hit Lin Erbao's weather-frost face, but he didn't stop for a moment. If he hadn't dodged in advance, he would have been buried by the earth wall.

The combat effectiveness of these Qing troops in front of him was much stronger than he had imagined!

The leader of the Qing army, Bayala Yuexin, a sturdy man, suddenly jumped off his horse, flipped his wrist lightly, and drew a sword from his waist.

His eagle-like eyes scanned the surroundings coldly in the night, as if trying to penetrate the darkness and see every subtle movement.

Suddenly, a scornful smile appeared on Yue Xin's lips, and he uttered a low sneer. Then he waved his hand, signaling the Bayal cavalry behind him to stop chasing.

His gestures were crisp and decisive, with an unquestionable sense of authority.

"Yilantai, bow more," Yue Xin ordered slowly, his tone revealing an unquestionable coldness:

"You two, go on horseback and patrol outside the village. Don't let that Nikan escape.

Ajina, Murima, you two come with me and search the village. Set the whole village on fire and force that guy out! "In recent days, Ming army scouts have frequently appeared on both the northern and southern fronts, wandering around the newly built fortresses and watchtowers of the Qing army like ghosts, apparently trying to find out the Qing army's deployment.

Yue Xin had many direct confrontations with these Ming army scouts in the Fuzhou area, and most of the time he had the upper hand. He and his men had killed nine Ming army scouts, but he had only lost four people.

Yue Xin is one of the most elite Bayara in the Qing army. He started fighting with the army at the age of fifteen. Now, for nearly twenty years, every battle of his has been full of blood and killing.

His swordsmanship is superb, his spearmanship is superb, his eyes are like an eagle, and his judgment is calm and accurate.

At this moment, Yue Xin was at the peak of his personal strength and combat experience. The team he led were all elite soldiers who had once served under Aobai - veterans who had been on the battlefield for a long time. Every Bayara had been tempered in blood and fire many times and was decisive in killing.

Lin Erbao hid behind a dark shelter, his palms tightly gripping the dagger already covered in cold sweat.

He knew that the opponent was a powerful enemy that he could not defeat head-on.

But it is also clear that if you want to escape tonight, you must muster all your courage and wisdom.

These Bayalas in front of him obviously had no intention of letting him go.

He took a deep breath and looked up in the direction of the village. Thick smoke was rising from there, and flames were dancing in the darkness, gradually devouring the dilapidated houses.

He gritted his teeth, moved his body slightly, and carefully retreated towards the woods behind the village.

In the light of the fire, the shadows of the Qing soldiers were long and dark on the ground, looking particularly ferocious.

Lin Erbao knew very well that he could not be discovered, so he tried to lower his breathing and walk as lightly as possible, for fear of alerting any enemy lurking in the dark.

"Search him! Force that guy out!"

Yue Xin's voice came from the front, with a cruel excitement.

Cold sweat broke out on Lin Erbao's forehead. He looked at the dagger in his hand, then at the woods in the distance where the fire was approaching.

Just as he was about to continue retreating, he suddenly heard a slight sound of footsteps behind him.

His heart tightened and he quickly squatted down, hiding himself in the bushes behind a big tree.

He stared intently at the direction where the sound came from, with the dagger in his right hand raised to his chest, ready to fight to the death at any time.

A moment later, a figure walked out of the darkness. It was Ajina from the Bayara of the Qing army.

He had a focused look on his face, holding a bow in his left hand and a lit torch in his right, the firelight casting mottled shadows on his face.

Lin Erbao held his breath and tried to blend in with the shadows of the surrounding trees.

Ajina walked to the bushes where he was, stopped, and looked down at the grass under his feet, as if wondering if there was something hidden there.

Lin Erbao's palms trembled slightly due to nervousness, but he remained absolutely still.

Finally, Ajina didn't seem to notice anything unusual and turned and walked in another direction.

Lin Erbao breathed a sigh of relief. He took the opportunity to stand up quietly and, with the cover of the night and the bushes, sneaked towards a path deeper into the village.

At this time, the fire in the village became more and more intense, illuminating half the sky red.

Yue Xin stood at the entrance of the village, looking at the burning houses, a satisfied smile on his face. This time the prey would definitely not be able to run far.

Lin Erbao knew that he had little time left. He had to take advantage of the Qing army's search in the village to cross the dense forest behind the village and avoid their sight.

His steps became faster and faster, and the sound of the night wind whistling was in his ears. As long as he could rush out of this dense forest, he would find the familiar mountain path in front of him - the only possible way to survive.

Yue Xin's pursuit was accurate and precise, not because Lin Erbao's command was ineffective, but because Yue Xin's rich experience allowed him to easily see through the Ming army's strategy of dividing troops.

He and his men carefully observed the hoof prints on the ground, the trampled grass by the roadside, and the traces of branches, and soon caught up with Lin Erbao's exhausted warhorse.

Following a low command, Yue Xin leaped towards the side of the village ruins like a civet cat. With his agility, his back disappeared without a trace beside the collapsed mud wall.

At the same time, his lieutenants Ajina and Murima followed closely behind. They had a clear division of labor: one of them held a tinderbox and carefully lit the hay in the dilapidated thatched hut, while the other stood sideways, alert and looking around.

Flames rose, and with the orange light gradually illuminated the entire deserted village.

The other two Bayala cavalrymen quickly mounted their horses and patrolled the edge of the village separately to prevent anyone from escaping.

The flames devoured the worn-out wood and thatch, and crackling sounds echoed in the empty village.

As the fire spread, flocks of wild birds flew away in fright and crows cried shrilly. In an instant, the village looked even more eerie and terrifying.

On the other side, Lin Erbao hid in the darkness and slowly moved forward along the broken wall.

Every few steps, he took out caltrops from his bag and scattered them on the path he was passing to prevent pursuit.

He had lost his bow and quiver long ago when he was dodging arrows shot by the Qing army. Now all he had left was a sword, two daggers and a few caltrops.

Thinking back on the fact that the excellent equipment specially replenished in the central army was lost due to his own negligence, he couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment and regret.

What's more, the thrilling jump when he was escaping just now caused his waist, abdomen and thighs to be bruised and swollen by the armor. With every hurried step he ran, the stinging pain in the wound made him grit his teeth.

Lin Erbao walked through the shadows of the village with difficulty, his steps cautious and slow.

Looking back at the village behind him where flames were rising to the sky, he secretly thanked his lucky stars that the pursuers had not yet approached him completely, but he still did not dare to relax at all. He had to hurry and find a suitable hiding place.

The village was filled with the suffocating smell of burning and smoke, and the surrounding environment became increasingly dangerous.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a half-collapsed stone mill in front of him. The place was overgrown with weeds and seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. It was a good place to hide.

He gripped his sword tightly, held his breath, and quickly slipped into the shadow of the mill.

The abandoned mill was dark, the air filled with the smell of mold and decay, and only a faint firelight shone through the gap of a broken wooden window.

At this moment, Yue Xin in the firelight did not relax his vigilance. He narrowed his eyes slightly and carefully observed every corner where the enemy might be hiding.

He knew that Lin Erbao was extremely courageous and alert and would not be easily captured.

However, the village was illuminated by flames, and the smoke in the air made the vision blurred. All this invisibly gave Lin Erbao a brief respite.

At the same time, the flames in Ajina's hands illuminated more and more huts, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burning wood.

His steps were steady, and he took every step with extreme caution, as if he was worried that a hidden enemy might suddenly jump out from a corner.

He whispered to Murima beside him, "Search further ahead and don't miss any details."

The pursuers led by Yue Xin were getting closer and closer. Lin Erbao could feel the hostility in the air. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His palms trembled slightly, but his eyes were extremely firm.

(End of this chapter)