Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 320 Persuading Surrender
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. 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. At this moment, all he could see was 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 gaze penetrated the layers of smoke and dust, closely watching 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 drum beats 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, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any time.

Liu Bin subconsciously lowered his head to dodge, his heart beating faster, his palms already soaked with cold sweat. He understood the threat this round of volley would bring.

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 trusted aides, ordering them to take 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 gave the order:

"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 felt a powerful force surging in his heart. This battle was related to the survival of the entire Shimen Pass, and he would not allow himself to relax at all.

At this time, he looked outside the city again. The shadows of the Qing army had already appeared, and the sound of war drums came slowly from the distance.

"Well, General Ma, take 500 cavalrymen and quickly assault along the river, but be careful of the valley. The Qing army is very likely to have ambushes there!"

Chen Fu whispered, frowning, his eyes sweeping sharply over each of his generals:
"There are still two troops out on exercises. We must rescue them if we can!"

Chen Fu knew very well that the hope of rescue was slim.

But he still made such arrangements, knowing in his heart that this was not only for the victory or defeat of the battle, but also to inspire the military spirit and boost morale.

If he didn't do this, who would risk their lives to pass on information in a critical moment in the future?
This concerns the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the army. No matter how great the losses are, he has to make such a decision.

He knew that Zhu Cilang had specifically assigned Ma Bao to this mission in order to train his abilities and cultivate his military merits.

As a loyal subordinate, Chen Fu would of course obey the emperor's intention and hand over this difficult task to Ma Bao.

For him, Ma Bao's growth is not only a personal matter, but also the future of the entire Ming army.

"Yes, General!" Ma Bao responded respectfully and quickly walked down the city wall.

On the streets inside the city walls, the sound of war drums roared like thunder, and thousands of soldiers were ready, with swords and guns drawn, ready to attack at any time.

At the same time, Zhang Xiaoliu quietly poked his head out from behind the shelter of corpses and observed the Qing army camp at the foot of the mountain.

Seeing that the enemy had not made any moves for the time being, he breathed a sigh of relief and was secretly glad.

Although the situation remains critical, the Ming army can still maintain its front line thanks to the advantageous terrain of the hills.

"If we can cross this valley, we can take the opportunity to bypass the enemy's front line of defense." Zhang Xiaoliu thought to himself. He knew very well that his troops were at an absolute disadvantage, and every minute and every second of delay could bring disaster.

However, the enemy did not seem to launch an attack immediately, and this brief period of peace made him feel a little relieved.

But Shen Zhong did not take the same chance as Zhang Xiaoliu.

The Qing army's vanguard had encountered stubborn resistance from the Ming army on the hill. He knew that if decisive measures were not taken, it would be difficult to break through the Ming army's defense line.

The current situation had already put him under great pressure, and he ordered the musketeers and archers to prepare suppressing fire without hesitation.

"Try to use firepower to pin down the Ming army's positions, deplete their manpower, and force them to reveal weaknesses!" Shen Zhong commanded in a low voice, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He knew that if they relied solely on a frontal assault, the Qing army would inevitably pay a huge price.

Therefore, he decided to rely on fire suppression and precision strikes to weaken the enemy's combat effectiveness and pave the way for subsequent attacks.

The Ming army held the hill and used the piles of corpses to create natural cover, making the Qing army's attack seem very ineffective.

The Qing army fired their muskets and bows in turn five or six times, and the arrows poured down like a torrent, but they could only hit less than ten Ming soldiers.

Despite this, the Ming army's formation remained as solid as a rock, and the Qing army's attack seemed to pose a far less threat to them than expected.

"We can't keep fighting like this." Shen Zhong knew in his heart that if there were no time limit, he might be able to eventually overwhelm this Ming army squad by relying on this little-by-little war of attrition.

However, the enemy he faced was the Ming army, which was familiar with mountain warfare. After holding out for so long, he was already impatient and knew that if the battle dragged on too long, it would inevitably have a negative impact on the morale of his army.

Shen Zhong's heart tightened. Although he seemed to have a clear advantage at the moment, the time he had was extremely limited.

According to news from the rear, reinforcements from Ba Ming's army are on the way, and the defense line of Shimen Pass is gradually being strengthened. If they delay any further, their disadvantage will only become more obvious.

He couldn't help but think of a strategy - surrender.

Although this method seemed to him to have some elements of luck, in this stalemate situation, he had to consider all possible options.

After all, the Ming army on the hill was at a numerical disadvantage, and if they could be successfully persuaded to surrender, perhaps more casualties could be avoided.

If that fails, it won't be too late to launch another strong attack. There isn't much time to waste anyway.

Shen Zhong raised the corner of his mouth slightly and gave the order:
"Send someone to persuade them to surrender. If the Ming army is willing to surrender, let them go immediately; if they firmly resist, attack them directly!"

At this time, the Ming army on the hill did not notice all this.

Liu Bin gripped the hilt of the knife tightly in his hand, feeling a chill rising from the soles of his feet to his heart. He looked at the Qing army gradually approaching at the foot of the mountain, and his eyes became more determined.

"Swordsmen and shieldmen, get ready! Musketeers, stay alert!" Liu Bin ordered loudly, his voice revealing a cold determination.

He knew that no matter what, they had to do their best in today's battle, and they would never give up easily even if it meant death.

At the same time, Chen Fu's heart was also filled with a sense of urgency. Shimen Pass had been fully mobilized, and the soldiers and civilians in the city were ready for the final decisive battle.

No matter what, he must defend this pass and maintain the hope here.

"Send someone to make those lunatics surrender. If they continue fighting like this, all my soldiers will be wiped out!" Shen Zhong yelled angrily at the deputy general, his face ashen, his eyes flashing with eagerness and anxiety.

His voice was filled with despair and anger, and he had obviously lost his usual calmness: "Go, go!"

The deputy general looked embarrassed. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but before he could open his mouth, he was interrupted by Shen Yongzhong almost roaring:
"Get out of here! The prince has already issued a death order. If you don't take it down, you'll be beheaded!"

These words were like thunder, making the deputy general's face suddenly turn pale.

Shen Yongzhong had just vowed that it would only take one hour to completely annihilate this Ming army.

However, reality slapped him hard in the face.

Time has passed, and the Qing army has suffered hundreds of casualties, but they are still trapped at the foot of the mountain, which makes Shen Yongzhong's heart full of humiliation and anger.

What's worse is that Ba Ming has sent an order, ordering him to capture the hill within half an hour, otherwise Manchurian soldiers will be sent to support him.

This was undoubtedly Shen Zhong's greatest shame—not only could he not capture the hill, but even the Manchurian soldiers were coming to support him!
"Damn it, am I, Shen Zhong, such a loser?" He was furious, but it faded away in an instant. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and muster up his strength again, turning his head and whispering to the deputy general:

"Attack again! If that doesn't work, the Manchurian soldiers will be helpless."

The deputy general nodded helplessly, his heart filled with endless depression and anxiety, but Shen Yongzhong's order was an order and could not be disobeyed.

He couldn't help complaining:

"Going up to persuade them to surrender is simply courting death! How could these lunatics possibly surrender? They're not even afraid of death, so who would be afraid of a few kind words from you!"

When Shen Zhong heard the deputy general's words, he just looked at him coldly and said in a low voice:
"Go quickly, or I'll go myself."

The deputy general was terrified and had to bite the bullet and walk towards the Ming army's position, muttering to himself:

"These lunatics are hopeless. They will only fight to the death and will never surrender."

In the Ming army position on the mountain, the more than 100 soldiers led by Liu Bin had already made Shen Yongzhong's Qing army suffer a lot.

Even though the Qing army outnumbered them by far, these tenacious Ming soldiers fought back with extremely ferocious offensives. Every time the Qing army attacked, they were beaten back and lost almost all of their fighting will.

Faced with this almost fearless force, these so-called elite Green Camp soldiers had long lost their former momentum, their morale collapsed, and their combat effectiveness was gone.

Liu Bin and Chen Liang's figures were particularly dazzling on the battlefield. They both tried their best and rushed towards the enemy without hesitation, killing the Qing troops who broke through the defense line until they forced the enemy to retreat completely.

Under their leadership, the morale of the Ming army was boosted unprecedentedly. Even though more and more comrades fell around them, no one retreated.

Just when everyone thought that the Ming army was going to die, the bravery of Liu Bin and Chen Liang ignited the last ray of hope.

"It seems that the Qing army does not intend to launch another attack." Guan Qifu leaned behind the pile of corpses and took a rest.

His tired eyes revealed a sense of sleepiness, but he remained awake in the midst of danger. He turned to look at Zhang Xiaoliu who had just returned and asked:
"Little Six Brother, do you still dare to fight those Tartar dogs down there?"

Zhang Xiaoliu approached, breathing heavily, but did not respond immediately. The fierce battle just now had exhausted him.

At this moment, there were only about thirty people left in the Ming army position. Although their morale was not as high as at the beginning, their determination to fight to the death remained unwavering.

However, most people were injured, and many were so exhausted that they didn't even have the strength to stand.

When Zhang Xiaoliu heard Guan Qifu's question, he felt a cloud of sorrow in his heart. He had just been fighting with a sense of unwillingness and anxiety, but now he could only feel a sense of powerlessness.

"They probably won't attack again." Zhang Xiaoliu lowered his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly complained:

"I'm just worried about when the reinforcements will arrive. If they don't come soon, I'll die here even if I have three lives!"

Guan Qifu smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile:

"Don't think about those useless things. I've fought for so long that I'm even ready to die. Even if I die here, I have no regrets."

He said this through gritted teeth, but there was a determined glint in his eyes.

"However, brothers, you can't just die in vain." Zhang Xiaoliu gritted his teeth, his face tense.

Although their situation was extremely serious and almost everyone was extremely exhausted, as Guan Qifu said, their belief in fighting to the death remained unwavering.

After repeated failed attacks, the Qing army at the foot of the mountain fell into a brief silence, but this did not mean that they gave up the attack.

Shen Zhong's mood has changed from initial anger to calmness.

He knew that he had to fight this battle. Even though his troops had been exhausted and the Qing army's attacks had failed repeatedly, he still decided to launch a final attack.

(End of this chapter)