Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 319 Fierce Battle
The tension of the battle grew heavier in the air. At the foot of the mountain, the layers of Qing army shields were like a moving black wall, slowly advancing upwards, giving off a strong sense of oppression.

However, even so, officers Liu Bin and Chen Liang showed no fear and remained calm as usual.

Liu Bin raised the command knife in his hand, his eyes sharp and calm, his tone still as steady as in previous training:

"Shield bearers, take cover. Archers, keep up the tempo. After the musket volley, release your arrows when you find a flaw in the Qing army's shield formation!"

His voice was not loud, but it was extremely powerful, as if an invisible force penetrated the crowd, and his tone revealed a fearless confidence.

Even with the encouragement of his voice, the fear in the hearts of many originally frightened recruits disappeared a little, and they gradually became firmer.

The Qing army's phalanxes advanced from bottom to top in an orderly manner, approaching the Ming army's defense line step by step.

Their shields were like a moving wall, covering up all their weaknesses and revealing a well-organized team of spears standing upright in a neat and uniform pattern, like an endless forest of spears, which was terrifying.

What made Liu Bin's heart even more depressed was the supervision team behind the formation - these elite soldiers were all trained by Shen Yongzhong himself. They were veterans of hundreds of battles and their combat effectiveness was far beyond that of ordinary Green Camp soldiers.

What's more, the equipment they had was the best among the Qing army, and it would be very difficult for the Ming army to defeat them in a head-on confrontation.

Chen Liang, standing on one side of the team, stared at the enemy formation, veins faintly visible in his clenched fists.

His eyes were cold and hateful, almost spitting fire, and fragments of memory emerged before his eyes - his brother and brothers had died tragically in an earlier battle, and those pains now pierced his heart again.

He gritted his teeth. Although his anger surged like a tide and he wanted to rush down the mountain to fight the enemy, he still barely suppressed his inner impulse and chose to endure for the overall situation.

However, this suppressed killing intent made him even more cruel, and only one thought remained in his mind:
We must do our utmost to seek justice for the brothers who once fought side by side with us.

The Qing army marched steadily, their movements calmly and carefully. They approached little by little, keeping their formation impervious to any blow.

The Ming army on the top of the mountain felt an immense sense of oppression as they pressed on step by step, as if every step was eroding their courage.

Guan Qifu held the rifle, his palms already soaked with cold sweat, but he subconsciously adjusted his breathing, and his eyes became sharper.

He kept reminding himself not to retreat, and to stand to the end even if there was only a glimmer of hope left.

Liu Bin's command rang in his ears:
"Musketeers at the ready, buglers at the ready!"

Guan Qifu took a deep breath, put aside all distracting thoughts, and fixed his eyes on the enemy in front of him.

Just as the Qing army advanced to within sixty steps, a military bugle call suddenly sounded on the hill. The long and sharp tone tore through the air like a sword and spread all around.

Guan Qifu pulled the trigger almost as a conditioned reflex, and then dozens of muskets fired at the same time, with hot flames coming out of the muzzles, accompanied by thick white smoke and deafening explosions.

Lead bullets shot out of the air at an astonishing speed, instantly penetrating the Qing army's shields. The dense rain of bullets caused screams to be heard one after another in the enemy's formation.

At the foot of the mountain, chaos began to spread, and the Qing army's shield formation showed a brief loosening for the first time.

However, this group of Green Camp soldiers did not retreat because of their companions' fall. Instead, they became more enraged and seemed to speed up their pace under the pressure of Shen Yongzhong's supervision team.

What was even more terrifying was that they reorganized their formation, covered each other and rushed towards the top of the mountain, their pace no longer slow.

The teams also cooperated more closely, trying to quickly close the distance and defeat the Ming army in the shortest time possible.

At this moment, a cold light flashed in Chen Ruian's eyes. He gripped the bow tightly in his hand, aimed at the enemies whose formation was already in disarray, and shot without hesitation.

His arrow drew a graceful arc in the air and instantly penetrated the enemy's formation. At this moment, the archers around him also launched their attack, and dozens of sharp arrows flew towards the enemy like a gust of wind, piercing their armor and shields.

Everyone in the Ming army knew that the enemy before them would not retreat easily, and only by trying their best could they find a glimmer of hope in the desperate situation.

The recruits' palms were covered in sweat, but their eyes were more determined.

The cruelty and bloodiness of the battle may still make them feel afraid, but under the encouragement of Liu Bin and Chen Liang, their courage burns like fire and they will not retreat.

Guan Qifu's shoulders were numb from the recoil of the musket and his ears were buzzing, but he still meticulously reloaded the gunpowder and prepared for the next shot.

He knew that at this moment, the life of each of them was hanging between life and death, and any hesitation could result in them becoming the enemy's soul.

Faced with such a situation, he was no longer afraid, and only determination and unyielding spirit remained in his eyes.

The enemy's formation is still pressing forward, and the battle situation is precarious.

On the moonlit hill, although the Qing army was large in number and powerful in strength, due to the restricted terrain, the troops were too densely packed and became moving targets with no cover.

Shen Zhong saw this at a glance and was already confident of the victory that was about to come - the thousand elite soldiers under his command could destroy the Ming army of less than a hundred people with just one fierce attack.

Therefore, he did not arrange archers or musketeers to lead the charge, intending to rely on the absolute advantage of his own military strength to directly crush the enemy.

Although the Ming army on the mountain was small in number, they were in a dominant position and unexpectedly shot arrows at the enemy, with the rain of arrows coming like a storm.

The arrows flashed in the moonlight and quickly penetrated the armor of the Qing army. Some Qing soldiers were even pierced through two layers of armor. Screams of pain were heard everywhere, and the team's forward speed slowed down.

Immediately afterwards, the musketeers outside the Ming army pulled the triggers together, and dozens of flames burst out at the same time, raising a cloud of thick smoke. Then a group of Qing soldiers fell down, blood spurted out, and miserable wails echoed under the hill.

The Qing army's Green Camp soldiers in the front row who had no shields were thrown to the ground, and more than a dozen of them fell to the ground, blood spurting out and screams following them.

Although this blow slightly reduced the morale of the Qing army, they still insisted on advancing forward and did not retreat due to their absolute numerical advantage and the confidence from several previous victories.

Even though they had lost more than thirty people, their morale was still high and they kept advancing step by step.

However, this bottom-up attack consumed a lot of physical strength of the Qing army.

Seeing that the enemy's strength was gradually declining, Liu Bin made a prompt decision, shouted, and gave the order to let the musketeers retreat.

Upon hearing the order, the Ming army's musketeers quickly retreated to the back row. The spearmen who had been ready put away their bows and arrows and drew their spears. The sword and shield soldiers quickly stepped forward, and the dense battle formation was adjusted again.

When the musketeers retreated, a cloud of white smoke had not yet dissipated when more than fifty Ming soldiers marched in neat steps, leaping out of the smoke like tigers, facing the moonlight, and rushed down the hillside towards the Qing army step by step.

The Qing troops at the foot of the mountain looked at the Ming soldiers swooping down from the top of the mountain. Seeing their murderous faces and their fearlessness of death, they felt a chill in their hearts.

Even though they had the advantage in terms of military strength, in this situation, fear arose in the soldiers' hearts, as if these Ming troops were invincible warriors.

Under the shouts and commands of the Qing army officers, the soldiers finally woke up and reacted, hurriedly raising their spears to fight.

However, the formation was in disarray, coordination between the teams was difficult, and the team was in a state of disarray.

Then, a fierce hand-to-hand fight broke out on the hill illuminated by the moonlight. The two sides clashed with swords and guns, and fire and blood were intertwined.

Liu Bin and Chen Liang led the charge, covered in blood, fighting hard against the enemy and vowing to resist to the death.

Both men fought with almost all their might. Chen Liang gritted his teeth, swung his long sword fiercely, and roared to boost morale. Liu Bin, despite his wounds, commanded his soldiers to fight the enemy together. Their leadership boosted the morale and courage of the Ming army. Despite the disparity in strength, every soldier held the determination to fight to the death. They persevered, winning battle after battle, and even managed to repel the Qing army's attack.

However, the price of victory was also extremely heavy.

Although the Ming army defeated the larger force with fewer troops and successfully repelled two rounds of fierce attacks by the Qing army, it also paid a heavy price - more than ten people were killed and almost twenty were injured. The blood spread on the ground, dyeing the land under the moonlight a deep red.

While catching their breath, the Ming army soldiers looked at each other. Although there was fear in their eyes, there was more determination.

For them, there is no way out. This hill is their last stronghold and their last battlefield.

After a brief respite, Liu Bin raised his head slightly and looked at the Qing army approaching in the distance.

He knew in his heart that this was just the beginning. The enemy would have a steady stream of reinforcements coming, but he only had a few soldiers left.

But no matter what, he would not retreat and would rather die than surrender. His eyes were full of determination and indomitable spirit.

Chen Liang stood aside, gripping his long sword tightly, his forehead stained with sweat and blood from the battle.

He cursed under his breath and looked back at his brothers behind him, with a hint of ferocity and a hint of sadness in his eyes.

At this moment, under the cover of moonlight and blood mist, on the hill, the Ming army was tightly connected, swords and guns in their hands, their eyes fixed on the layers of Qing army shields that were slowly moving forward.

Although Liu Bin and Chen Liang each suffered some minor injuries, these minor injuries were not worth mentioning to them.

They didn't even have time to check their wounds. The sound of war drums at the foot of the mountain was deafening, as if it would approach them at any moment.

They hurriedly reorganized the soldiers who were still able to fight and prepared to join this life-and-death battle again.

Chen Liang grinned and shouted:
"Damn it, these dogs are so weak! I've already taken three of them with me. It would be great if a Tartar could come up to me personally!"

Although his words were crude, they were full of inspiring power.

When the soldiers listened to his words, anger and fighting spirit seemed to ignite in their hearts, and almost everyone was bloodthirsty.

Chen Liang deliberately raised his voice and shouted:

"Brothers! Every time these slave dogs come up, we'll chop them down! Today we must kill them until their Manchu masters are forced to take action themselves!"

As soon as the words fell, the remaining dozens of Ming soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the valley:

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Their shouts echoed on the top of the mountain for a long time, and their momentum was so great that the Qing army camp below the mountain suddenly quieted down, as if they were also frightened by this terrifying momentum.

Liu Bin remained calm. Even though the battle had lasted for a long time and he was exhausted both physically and mentally, he never relaxed.

The fierce fighting had already made him temporarily forget the idea of ​​getting promoted and making money, and the shadows of his children and family were also left behind.

At this moment, all he could see were the approaching Qing army, and all he could hear were the sounds of drums and shouts of killing.

"Swordsmen and shieldmen, get ready! Musketeers, get ready!" Liu Bin's eyes penetrated the layers of smoke and dust, and he kept a close eye on the movements of the enemy troops at the foot of the mountain.

He suddenly noticed that there were signs of archers and musketeers gathering behind the Qing army's shields. His face changed and he immediately shouted:

"Everyone, get down, quick! Shieldmen keep low, musketeers take cover!"

At this time, the Qing army's formation changed, and a group of archers and musketeers were already in the front row.

As the Qing army's drumbeats suddenly became faster, the enemy's archers began to tighten their bowstrings, and the Qing army's musketeers quickly prepared behind the shield formation. The fuse flickered slightly in the cold wind, and they could deliver a fatal blow at any time.

Liu Bin subconsciously lowered his head to avoid the attack, his heart beating faster and his palms already soaked with cold sweat.

At the same time, at Shimen Pass not far away, another fierce military mobilization was quietly unfolding.

Chen Fu, who was guarding the city, was awakened by his personal soldiers and learned about the signal flares sent by the enemy. He immediately calmly and quickly dispatched his confidants and ordered them to lead troops to control the four city gates to prevent collusion between internal and external forces.

Without delaying for a moment, he put on his armor and headed straight for the barracks next to the official residence.

He confirmed one by one that the barracks were properly defended, and immediately dispatched troops to the city gates for support. At the same time, he sent more than 300 people to guard the county government's treasury to ensure the safety of supplies.

Before daybreak, Chen Fu had already arrived at the East Gate with an army of nearly a thousand men from the East Gate Barracks.

Shimen Pass was already bustling with people, with civilians carrying things on their shoulders and hands, assisting the soldiers in deploying the city defense.

Everyone knew that this was not only a battle to defend the city, but also a matter of life and death. The people and soldiers in the city worked together and were particularly united in this critical moment.

Chen Fu stood on the city wall of the east gate, holding a sword, looking into the distance in the direction of the Ba Ming army in the east.

In the darkness of night, the enemy's scouts were already out in all directions, the sound of their horses' hooves was rapid and chaotic, they were constantly patrolling outside the city, trying to detect any movements inside.

He stared into the distance, knowing that the enemy's strength should not be underestimated, and the slightest mistake could lead to total defeat.

At this moment, the guards on the city wall have been completely controlled, and everyone is on high alert, not allowing any slackness.

The traitors who had been lurking in the city for a long time finally realized that their plan had been exposed after seeing the army assembled in the city.

They knew that staying in the city would be like walking into a trap, so they lowered ropes down the city wall and escaped from the city during the chaos.

However, the sentries patrolling outside the city were well prepared, and some of the traitors were shot on the spot before they could even climb down. The screams and shouts of killing echoed in the night, which was chilling.

On the city wall, Chen Fu's eyes were as sharp as torches. When he saw the enemy's traitor fleeing, a sneer appeared at the corner of his lips.

He knew clearly the intentions of these spies, which were nothing more than to disrupt the morale of the defenders and plunge the city into chaos.

However, he had already made arrangements to defend the pass to the death without allowing any enemy to enter.

He ordered:

"Send more men. The East Gate cannot be lost! Send more archers to defend it. Be careful of the enemy's surprise attack during the chaos!"

The soldiers responded quickly, and the fighting spirit at the entire East Gate was high.

The firelight on the city wall illuminated the faces of each guard. Everyone's expression was full of determination, and there was a fearless perseverance in their eyes.

Chen Fu stood on the top of the city wall and looked outside again. The shadows of the Qing army had already appeared, and the sound of war drums slowly came from the distance.

(End of this chapter)