Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 329 Fierce battle in the dark night

The night was as dark as ink. Although the Ming army in the camp had fallen into its usual laxity, they had put great care into the selection of the site and construction of the camp.

The deep-rooted camp was based on solid wooden stakes and sandbags, and the periphery was covered with chevaux de frise and trenches, with all the necessary defensive measures. Lin Chengde, who was in charge of the western camp, and Chen Youshi, who was in charge of the eastern camp, both paid a very high price to break through these obstacles.

Even with the swiftness of the cavalry and the cover of night, they only managed to break through the camp gate before the Ming army could react.

However, in order not to reveal their target in advance, the Qing army limited the number of cavalrymen that left the city. Of Lin Chengde's more than a thousand men, only less than fifty cavalrymen accompanied the breakthrough.

At this time, these Qing cavalry relied on their speed to rush through the Ming army's arrow tower and the barricades outside the camp gate, but immediately afterwards, they encountered a second, tighter line of defense.

Another layer of barricades in the camp stubbornly blocked their way forward, forcing the cavalry to dismount and fight. The cavalry, engaged in infantry combat, tried to quickly sweep away the Ming army while it was not yet fully organized, but unexpectedly, the Ming army's reaction was faster than they expected.

The sounds of muskets and bowstrings soon rang out in the camp, and the night sky was streaked with orange-red flames.

Team after team of Ming soldiers surrounded them from all directions, forming a counter-encirclement of the Qing cavalry in a short period of time. Arrows and lead bullets flew one after another, and the sounds of explosions when they hit the targets were heard one after another.

More than 40 Qing cavalrymen who broke into the camp witnessed their comrades falling one after another, with their bodies scattered between the barricades and the camp road, and finally had to choose to retreat.

Although the Qing army's initial breakthrough failed to achieve its goal, the Ming army paid a heavy price for its complacency.

Lin Chengde rode his horse forward in the chaos and personally supervised the battle. His eyes were sharp and the long sword in his hand was already stained with blood.

He knew very well that if this surprise attack failed to break through the Ming army's defense line, it would not only weaken his own morale, but might also expose the entire plan.

He killed several deserters without hesitation to shock the army. Then he led the elite servants to launch a more fierce attack on the outskirts of the camp.

Although the Ming army responded quickly, time was short and many soldiers had not yet put on their armor. They could only barely hold on with the help of the guards on night patrol.

Musketeers and archers hastily organized a counterattack from behind the fence, trying to curb the Qing army's advance.

However, the elite Qing troops under Lin Chengde were well-equipped and well-coordinated, and gradually gained a strength advantage in the local battlefield.

Outside the fence, the two sides launched a fierce battle over the fortifications. In less than a quarter of an hour, the Qing army finally broke through several fences and tried to rush into the camp.

However, as soon as these Qing troops entered the camp, they were blocked by the Ming army's spearmen.

The Ming army soldiers had already set up a defensive formation inside. The moment the Qing army overturned the fence, the Ming army's spear formation quickly pressed forward and pinned the Qing soldiers firmly in the gap that had just been opened.

On the fence, blood flowed down the wooden stakes, and the Qing army's offensive was once again curbed.

On the other side, thousands of Eight Banners soldiers led by Deni also launched a fierce attack. Their target was the more than 400 Ming army troops sent outside the camp to meet the enemy.

Deni's plan was precise and ruthless. He used his superior military strength to quickly surround the Ming army. Although the Ming army tried to organize a counterattack, they were quickly defeated by the elite Qing army.

After only a short battle, most of the troops had suffered casualties. In the end, only less than two hundred people were able to break out of the siege and retreat towards the camp.

Although the Qing army gained a local advantage, the Ming army's defense system remained strong.

The main force in the camp gradually restored order after the initial chaos, messengers ran back and forth, and the generals quickly deployed defenses.

In the direction of the western camp, as the counterattack horn sounded, a large number of Ming soldiers quickly gathered. They held up spears, swords and shields, and lined up in neat rows to launch a counterattack against the Qing army.

Lin Chengde looked at the Ming army's gradually recovering formation in front of him with a gloomy face. He knew that time was running out.

At the same time, Chen Shishi in the east was also mobilizing the remaining elite servants to try to contain the Ming army's counterattack.

Although his troops had the advantage, his advance became difficult in the face of the Ming army's persistence.

He cursed under his breath, secretly regretting why he failed to complete the breakthrough before the Ming army fully reacted.

Inside the camp, the Ming army commander's orders were passed down layer by layer. The tense atmosphere was mixed with anger and indomitable spirit. The soldiers were armed with muskets and bows and arrows, ready for battle. The firelight illuminated their resolute faces.

The reason why Deni did not use all his strength to encircle and annihilate the Ming army was not because he was unable to do so, but out of well-thought-out strategic considerations.

He chose to pretend to retreat with part of his troops and lead the defeated soldiers to attack the Ming army's camp. His purpose was not just to create chaos, but to use this as an opportunity to disrupt the Ming army's defense system, thereby delaying their counterattack speed and buying precious time for the main force.

Deni was well aware of the strategy of winning in the face of danger - as long as he broke through the Ming army camp, even if he could not win temporarily, he could create more variables for subsequent actions.

Amid the firelight and noise outside the camp, Fan Wencheng and Jirgalang stood on the command platform in the rear of the Qing army with deep eyes.

They knew very well that with only these two thousand soldiers, even if they managed to break through the Ming army's defense line, it would be difficult to gain an absolute advantage.

Once the Ming army adjusted its deployment, the small Qing army units would inevitably be surrounded and suppressed.

The real target was Zhu Cilang in the central army tent, so the offensives from the west and east were mainly feints intended to tie down the Ming army's forces.

Their goal was not to annihilate the enemy completely, but to preserve their strength and delay the Ming army's reaction, creating an opportunity for Yang Minggao's surprise attack.

At this time, Zhu Cilang sat leisurely on the main seat in the central military tent, quietly listening to the fighting and horse hooves sounds coming from outside.

There was a faint smile on his face, as if everything was under control.

He had been waiting for this moment for half a month. According to the deployment, the defenses of various units should have been quickly activated, and the battles on the periphery should have progressed smoothly as expected - the small forces of the Qing army were destined to be annihilated one by one.

"Lin Changfeng has already led two battalions of troops to fight. The Qing army's offensive will not last more than two hours." Zhu Cilang thought to himself, his face calm and confident.

At this moment, several messengers came into the tent one after another to report the battle situation to Zhu Cilang.

The content of the report was generally in line with expectations. However, Zhu Cilang keenly noticed something unusual from several details. He frowned slightly and lowered his head to think for a while.

"The Qing army's offensive seems to be more fierce than expected. Is there something wrong with our defensive deployment?" He raised his eyes and glanced at the generals standing in the tent, and doubts began to arise in his heart.

After a brief consideration, Zhu Cilang looked up at Liu Sheng who was standing beside him, with a hint of tentativeness in his tone:
"Yagyu, take a few people out to take a look. Something seems to be wrong with the battle situation."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Yagyu accepted the order with a fist salute, and without a moment's hesitation, he quickly left the tent with several personal soldiers.

Silence returned to the big tent, with only the battle map illuminated by the firelight glowing faintly on the table. Zhu Cilang's eyes fell on the map, but gradually drifted away.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, his eyes swept over the two generals standing in the tent, his mood was complicated.

He had been looking forward to this battle for a long time and was originally full of confidence, but now he was more cautious and scrutinizing.

The silent atmosphere did not last long. Suddenly, there were more rapid neighings of war horses and the collision of weapons outside the tent, and the chaotic shouts of killing reached the sky.

Zhu Cilang was startled and his brows suddenly furrowed. He suddenly stood up and strode out of the tent, his eyes then falling on the direction of the camp gate not far away.

The place was in chaos, with Ming soldiers hastily engaging in battle when a group of about forty or fifty Qing cavalrymen broke through the perimeter and charged recklessly. In the firelight, these Qing soldiers, wearing light armor, moved with exceptional swiftness, led by none other than the fierce Qing general Yang Gao.

He spurred his horse and pointed directly at the center of the army, a fierce expression on his face clearly visible. Zhu Cilang's eyes fixed, and he instantly understood that Yang Gao had not come here just to cause chaos. His target was very clear - himself!
"Send the order!" Zhu Cilang suddenly waved his hand, his voice like thunder:
"The Imperial Guards will immediately form up and block this cavalry! Everyone, be on high alert and don't let the Qing army get even a step closer!"

Under Zhu Cilang's command, the Guard Battalion acted quickly, with spears like a forest, forming an impenetrable defensive circle.

The Qing cavalry came with great momentum, but faced with this tight formation, they were forced to slow down their charge.

Yang Gao shouted angrily and swung his sword at the defense line of the Guards Battalion, trying to open a gap.

However, the Ming army soldiers were well-trained, and their defense composed of shields and spears was like a solid wall of steel, blocking the Qing army's charges time and time again.

The chaos at the camp gate did not subside because of this. The Qing army led by Yang Gao was obviously not just charging. They cooperated tacitly, carried out orderly and dispersed raids, and tried to break through from different directions with small forces.

The Ming army soldiers quickly adjusted themselves in the chaos, advancing step by step and gradually stabilizing their position.

Zhu Cilang stood in front of the central military tent, gazing at the battlefield with a cold gaze. His hands were behind his back, but his heart was not as calm as he appeared.

He knew that the real threat of the Qing army's night attack did not lie in this raiding cavalry, but in other actions they were trying to cover.

"Deni... your risky move is quite beautiful." Zhu Cilang sneered, turned around and looked at the generals behind him, and said in a deep voice:
"Order Lin Changfeng and Gao Jie to return immediately to reinforce and cut off the Qing cavalry's retreat! Also, send scouts to the east and west flanks to confirm the movements of the enemy's main force!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The general took the order and left.

The night was dark and the sky was filled with flames of war. Zhu Cilang stood there, letting the cold wind blow his battle robe.

This is not just a battle, but also a competition of mind and endurance.

Deni used a small force to disrupt the central army, trying to trick Zhu Cilang into making a mistake in deploying troops, but Zhu Cilang knew very well that this was exactly the situation the enemy most wanted to see.

"Yang Gao's team is just bluffing. The real danger... is probably still behind." Zhu Cilang's eyes flashed and he murmured in a low voice.

His mind raced, thinking about possible changes.

The noise of the battle gradually drew closer, but the Ming army's defense line did not loosen at all.

Zhu Cilang took a deep breath, his eyes as sharp as knives.

The sound of gunfire, bowstrings, and shouts of fighting rose and fell, the sound of footsteps shook the earth like a tide, and orange-red flames exploded from time to time, briefly lighting up the dark battlefield, and then quickly extinguished.

Wave after wave of wooden fences collapsed, the dull thud of lead bullets penetrating, and the crisp sound of arrows hitting intertwined together, mixed with the screams and wails of the soldiers.

Lin Chengde rode his horse and stood at the back of the battlefield. The cold wind blew through his armor, but it could not calm his anxious heart.

His servants and guards stood on his left and right, long swords in hand, their eyes fixed on the battle situation ahead.

He felt both anger and hesitation in his heart. The Ming army's defense was beyond his expectations. Behind those seemingly inconspicuous fences were strong-willed warriors.

The Qing army broke through the defense line many times, but the Ming army soldiers, with their tenacious will and exquisite command, were always able to quickly counterattack and regain the breakthrough.

"Damn Ming army!" Lin Chengde cursed in a low voice, clenching his fists.

He originally thought that he could easily achieve success this time, but now, the battle situation has reached a stalemate, and the morale of his soldiers and generals has gradually declined in the continuous attack and defense.

"If this continues, we may not even have a chance to break out!" Lin Chengde secretly groaned in his heart.

With only more than 2,000 troops at their disposal, they had lost the advantage of a night attack, while the number of Ming troops in the camp was several times theirs.

Once the enemy completes its assembly and launches a full-scale counterattack, the Qing army will have no strategic location to defend on this flat ground and will lack cavalry support. I am afraid the only outcome will be annihilation.

Although he knew that the situation was unfavorable, he was still reluctant to send out his servants easily. As his core strength, these servants were the elites carefully trained by his family over the years and were also his last trump card.

He always held on to a lucky mentality, hoping that ordinary soldiers could break through the defense line, buy him time and preserve his strength.

However, the current situation can no longer be delayed.

"Send the message!" Lin Chengde took a deep breath and made a decision after gritting his teeth:

"Have the servants gather the scattered soldiers and organize another fierce attack. We must capture the Ming army's outer positions!"

More than twenty servants responded to the order. They were all agile and quick, and rushed into the formation like tigers.

They brandished their long swords and roared to force the scattered soldiers to re-form into formation and reorganize the scattered soldiers.

Not long after, these servants led three teams of soldiers to launch a new attack on the Ming army's fence. Under the firelight, they pierced the Ming army's defense line like sharp arrows and almost broke through two fences.

However, just when victory was at hand, the Ming army's support troops quickly surrounded them from both sides. The soldiers shouted loudly and surrounded the servants and Qing soldiers in the middle. The dense rain of arrows and accurate lead bullets forced them to retreat step by step.

Seeing that the raid had failed, Lin Chengde frowned, and the anger in his chest almost burned him out.

"If you don't take action now, you'll be held accountable by Deni!" He gritted his teeth and placed his last hope on the remaining servants. He whipped and shouted:

"All servants, go into battle! Break through the Ming army's defenses at all costs!"

Following his order, more than a hundred servants were ready to go, and these elite soldiers rushed to the battlefield like a pack of wolves.

However, the Ming army's defense remained as solid as a rock. Although the retainers maneuvered on the battlefield and temporarily suppressed the Ming army's defense, they were ultimately unable to make a breakthrough.

At this moment, Lin Chengde couldn't help but recall the battle under the city half a month ago.

At that time, he personally led his troops to launch a surprise attack on the Ming army. Relying on the cover of the city walls and the unexpectedness of the attack, although he suffered heavy losses, he barely achieved a victory.

However, that victory made him underestimate the combat effectiveness of the Ming army.

"At that time I thought they were just ordinary elite soldiers, but now it seems that this Ming army is indeed not to be underestimated!" Lin Chengde thought to himself.

He originally thought that he could easily win a battle on flat ground by simply suppressing the troops with force, but he did not expect that this Ming army was not only powerful in combat but also had extremely strong morale, which was completely different from his initial judgment.

Deni's main force was gathering in the rear, but Lin Chengde knew that if they continued to delay and waited until the Ming army launched a full-scale counterattack, their failure would be inevitable.

Deep regret and anxiety surged in his heart:
"If I had given my all earlier, maybe there would have been a chance to break through..."

On the battlefield, the flames gradually dimmed, and the sound of the wind was mixed with the collision of weapons and the wailing of soldiers.

"Charge!" Lin Chengde raised his sword again and ordered all soldiers to launch a general attack. There was a sense of determination in his voice.

(End of this chapter)