Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 305 Battle of Fuzhou
On a cold winter night, the north wind in Fuzhou City was biting cold. Zhao Kui and his men were all wrapped in thick cotton armor, with their faces wrapped in cotton cloth to block the cold wind, making them look particularly bloated.

The area of ​​the city wall where they were guarding was adjacent to the East Gate Tower, and the Qing army's defense line was slightly weak here. Once the patrolling baoyi soldiers left, they could approach the tower quietly.

Zhao Kui is Deng Zhang's most capable confidant. He is fierce by nature, has extraordinary combat ability, and is quite prestigious.

He swung his axe lightly, and several servants who had been ready for action jumped out silently and pounced quickly on the nearest baoyi soldiers.

With a flash of knife light, the sharp axe blade cut through the air, knocking down the enemy in silence. The soldiers were killed before they could even regain consciousness and fell in a pool of blood.

However, the Bayala soldiers stationed in the city wall were well-trained and reacted quickly. They drew their swords and rushed towards Zhao Kui and others with roars. The scene instantly became intense.

Zhao Kui swung his axe like flying. He knew that this was a critical moment and any hesitation would result in death.

He approached the Baoyi soldiers outside the city wall and swiftly repelled the enemy with one axe after another.

As time passed, Zhao Kui's strength gradually exhausted. His cotton armor was cut by several knife marks, and his hands were stained with blood due to the fierce fight.

However, he knew that there was no way out and he could only fight with all his might.

A Bayala soldier attacked with a knife. Zhao Kui avoided the sharp blade and attacked quickly. With a blow of his double axes, he smashed the enemy's head into a bloody mess.

After taking a short breath, Zhao Kui quickly entered the lock tower and cast his eyes on the winch on the pillar.

The winch is the core control device of the suspension bridge. Once it is destroyed, the suspension bridge will fall out of control.

But turning the winch directly to lower the drawbridge would require great strength and be time-consuming, so he decided to simply destroy the winch.

He raised his axe and chopped hard at the gear of the capstan.

With a loud "boom", the suspension bridge fell down, and the huge wooden boards of the suspension bridge crashed into the moat, splashing water everywhere and causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The moment the suspension bridge fell, the Ming army assault force ambushed outside the city immediately began to move. Zhao Zhengdong took the lead, carrying a ladder and leading the soldiers to rush towards the suspension bridge. The shouts of killing were deafening.

Zhao Kui was like a ferocious beast, not flinching at all. He rushed towards the oncoming Bayara soldiers with his huge body. The heavy axe in his hand made a whistling sound and chopped towards the enemy with lightning speed.

He swung his right hand, and the axe split the air directly, accurately hitting the neck of a Bayala. With a sharp sound of a sharp weapon cutting through flesh, the enemy's head was chopped off and flew more than ten steps away.

Blood splattered like a fountain, the strong smell of blood instantly filled the cold night wind, and the blood mist turned into a hazy red under the dim firelight.

In this bloody scene of chaos and murderous intent, Zhao Kui's servants rushed out like tigers descending from the mountains and fought a desperate battle with the Qing army.

On the city wall, the baoyi soldiers who were not yet fully awake were still struggling in confusion. Before they could even figure out who the attackers were, they were suppressed by the fierce servants.

The flash of swords and shadows of axes instantly spread across the city wall, and the firelight illuminated the terrified faces and painful expressions.

The screams of the Qing army rose one after another, echoing in the biting wind, shrill and short.

In just a few breaths, the Qing army on the city wall suffered heavy losses. Only four Bayara soldiers and a dozen Baoyi soldiers were left. They were forced to retreat step by step and could only gather in a corner in panic, trying to find a way to retreat.

Seeing this, Zhao Kui's murderous intent became even stronger. His beast-like instincts and fighting will were fully aroused. He no longer paid attention to the enemies who were still resisting, and turned directly towards the control gate of the suspension bridge.

He knew in his heart that tonight's mission was of vital importance. As long as the drawbridge could be lowered, the Ming army ambushed outside the city would take advantage of the situation and break in, completely controlling the east gate of Fuzhou City.

Thinking of this, his steps became more steady and decisive, and his eyes were filled with incomparable determination.

Just as he took a step towards the gatehouse, a baoyi soldier was driven by the Bayala soldiers to rush towards Zhao Kui, trying to block his way.

Zhao Kui's eyes darkened, he dodged to the side, raised the short axe in his hand suddenly, and smashed it hard into the chest of the baoyi soldier.

There was a loud "bang" and the soldier screamed in pain. Then he fell to the ground, spitting blood and died.

Without waiting for others to react, Zhao Kui had already stood firmly in front of the gate of the gatehouse. The servants behind him were constantly suppressing the Qing army, firmly controlling most areas of the gatehouse, and forcing the remaining Qing troops back to the door of the room where the garrison was resting.

The Qing troops in the house had been awakened by the noise outside, but Zhao Kui and others had blocked the door tightly, so they could not rush out for a while.

Zhao Kui knew that control at this moment was the key to victory and he must not relax at all.

At the same time, on the other side of the city wall, a group of Baoyi soldiers on duty were also alarmed and rushed towards where Zhao Kui was. The sound of dense footsteps came in the wind, breaking the silence of the night.

Zhao Kui quickly gave instructions and waved his hand, leading the servants to set up defenses on the city wall to meet the reinforcements of the Qing army.

His servants were already eager to fight, each of them was murderous and fearless, with swords and spears tightly grasped in their hands, ready to deal a fatal blow to the enemy.

Zhao Kui was focused and his eyes were always fixed on the gatehouse. The suspension bridge was the only passage to Fuzhou City. Once it was lowered, the Ming army outside would be able to enter the city smoothly, which would become a key link in capturing Fuzhou.

He knew clearly that the control of this suspension bridge was directly related to the success or failure of tonight.

The moat of Fuzhou City is wide. Due to Maka's order, the moat has long been widened and deepened, with fast-flowing water and strong defense.

Except for the suspension bridge, other passages are impossible to pass through quickly, which is also the only hope Zhao Kui has.

At this moment, the river water under the suspension bridge seemed bottomless in the night, as if there was infinite power lurking.

The suspension bridge is carefully made of elm wood, with a thick iron chain inserted in the iron ring at the bridge head, and the other end of the iron chain is connected to the gatehouse.

As long as Zhao Kui could cut these iron chains, the entire suspension bridge would slowly lower, opening a passage for the Ming army lying in ambush outside.

However, the Bayara soldiers in front of the gatehouse also realized the danger. Seeing Zhao Kui approaching him with murderous intent, they suddenly turned pale and clenched the knife in their hands tightly.

He understood that he was responsible for guarding the suspension bridge. If he failed, Fuzhou City would be completely exposed to the attack of the Ming army.

However, facing Zhao Kui's imposing aura and cold eyes, he was already trembling in his heart and almost dared not look him in the eye.

A sneer flashed across Zhao Kui's eyes. He gently clenched the hatchet in his hand and whispered:

"Tonight, this city belongs to me."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly jumped forward, and with a flash of cold light from his short axe, he chopped directly at the Bayara soldier.

Although the soldier fought hard, he was no match for Zhao Kui's ferocious momentum. With just one blow, he was hit by Zhao Kui's axe and fell to the ground.

At this moment, Zhao Kui was in control of the suspension bridge. He quickly thrust his hatchet into the iron chain of the suspension bridge and yanked it hard. With the sound of the chain breaking, the suspension bridge slowly tilted downward.

There was a gleam of victory in Zhao Kui's eyes. When the Ming army outside the city saw the signal that the drawbridge was lowered, they rushed to the city gate and poured into Fuzhou City like a tide.

Zhao Kui knew that their actions were not over yet.

The Qing army in Fuzhou City has not been completely defeated tonight, and he has to continue to lead his men to consolidate the situation in the city and prevent the remaining Qing army from counterattacking.

Deng Zhang's plan was very detailed. Once Zhao Kui climbed onto the city wall, he would wait until the Qing army's baoyi soldiers patrolled a little further away, and then he would lead more than 50 elite servants to launch a surprise attack, targeting the Eight Banners soldiers and baoyi soldiers on the east city wall.

They had to quickly occupy the gatehouse, cut the ropes of the drawbridge, and lower the drawbridge at the east gate. As soon as the Ming army ambushing outside the city heard the signal, they could quickly rush into Fuzhou City.

The whole plan is simple and clear, but it requires great courage and cooperation to achieve.

According to his plan, he could easily sneak into the city wall with fifty servants and take up the night watch post.

The initial operation went quite smoothly. Although the three armies sent by Maca failed to completely control the situation, they successfully besieged Deng Zhang's residence and the Green Camp military camp.

This created a huge loophole in Deng Zhang's plan.

Outside Deng Zhang's temporary residence, the Eight Banners soldiers and the Baoyi soldiers were gathering urgently, preparing to encircle the residence.

Deng Zhang stood in the mansion, gazing at the servants standing in front of him. Most of these servants under his command were former defeated soldiers of the Ming army, who had been displaced in the war five years ago.

Deng Zhang recruited these people, gave them a place to stay, and gained their loyalty, which allowed him to gradually rise in the midst of war.

He knew very well that it was only with the help of these people that he could consolidate his power and protect his clan.

In this chaotic world, Deng Zhang undoubtedly took an extremely difficult path by relying on the power of his family to compete with the regular army.

Deng Zhang was very clear that although his influence in the Jiaodong area was great, it was only strong on the outside but weak on the inside and could not defeat the real heavy troops of the court.

Although he had as many as two thousand men under his command, most of them were self-recruited and lacked formal training.

Even if the Qing court appointed him as a general in the name of appeasement, it was just an empty title.

But in this war-torn land, Deng Zhang still survived in his own way.

He may be cruel, but he knows that every decision he makes is to continue the family heritage and protect the homeless old men who once took him in.

He looked up at the servants in the mansion. These people were now as united as iron and loyal, but they were facing many crises and would be destroyed if they were not careful.

Deng Zhang felt a hint of regret in his heart. He had shaved his head and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty in a hurry, but now he found himself caught in a difficult situation between the court and his family.

He gritted his teeth secretly, knowing that he had no way out and could only fight to the death.

Deng Zhang was in an extremely heavy mood this time. Looking back on the past, he couldn't help but feel deep regret for his decision.

However, Deng Zhang also understood that if it were not for Zhu Cilang's arrival and the Ming army's successive victories, he might not have been able to fight back. Even though he was full of regret, he was powerless to change and could only follow the trend and live a miserable life.

But now the situation is different. The Ming army has brought hope, and the dawn of victory has given him the courage to make a new choice.

In the past, in order to survive, he bowed his head in fear, shaved his head and tied his hair into a braid. Now, he has dignity and a reason not to surrender anymore.

The fire in his heart was ignited, and this time, he would show his determination with action - cutting off the braid that symbolized shame!
He glanced at the servants in front of him, his eyes like torches and his voice like thunder:

"Brothers, four years ago, I, Deng Zhang, was considered a well-known hero in Dengzhou! But ever since I shaved my head and tied my hair into a braid, I no longer dare to call myself a hero! Why?"

His words were so powerful that they deeply shook everyone's heart.

There was silence, and none of the servants said a word. They listened intently to Deng Zhang's words, and no one dared to look away.

They were already accustomed to his roars, but this time, they could sense a long-suppressed resentment and unwillingness in his voice.

Deng Zhang's eyes sparkled with tears, and his voice became more excited:
"Because I shaved my head, I have no hair! Without hair, even after death I won't be able to recognize my ancestors and return to their embrace. What kind of man am I?"

At this point, he gritted his teeth, his emotions bursting out like a torrent, and he spoke incessantly:

"In my life, I have done almost nothing I regret, except shaving my head, tying my braids, and becoming a slave. This is my greatest shame. I regret it, I really regret it!
I don't want to be a traitor, and I don't want to betray my own bloodline!"

He changed the subject, his eyes filled with determination:
"Brothers, we Han people have backbone and we recognize our ancestors! We cannot keep this braid! Even if we die, we will not take it with us!"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, and his emotions were sincere, igniting the bloodiness and indignation in everyone's heart.

He knew that although these servants had long been numb to the turbulent life of running around, they still had the dignity and courage inherited from their bloodline in their bones.

As the words fell, Deng Zhang drew the knife from his waist, gripped the handle tightly, reached back, and without any hesitation, cut off his braid with one clean stroke.

The braid that symbolized humiliation fell to the ground along with the blade. He threw the braid hard on the ground, and his eyes swept across every servant in front of him like a sharp blade.

He raised the bloody knife high, swung his arms violently, and roared with great momentum:

"Brothers, cut off your braids! Kill the Tartars!"

Before he finished speaking, the servants below responded loudly:

"Cut off the queues! Kill the Tartars! Cut off the queues! Kill the Tartars!"

Shouts rose and fell like a tsunami, and the servants drew their knives from their waists one after another and cut off their braids without hesitation, symbolizing a complete break with this humiliation.

Those braids were thrown to the ground one by one, like pieces of darkness from the past. Everyone swore in his own way that he would rather die in battle than surrender again.

At this time, Deng Zhang took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and said calmly and firmly:

"Brothers, from this moment on, we are no longer slaves to be ordered around by others!"

(End of this chapter)