Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 331: High morale
All of this was the key to Fan Wencheng and Jihalang's clever plan to lure the enemy and attack from the east and west wings at the same time.

Such a sudden attack caught the garrisoned Ming army off guard. Although the frontline soldiers responded quickly and barely began to organize a counterattack, they were obviously not yet completely out of the chaos.

"Don't panic!" Zhu Cilang gave an order in a firm and calm tone.

He glanced around and looked at the surrounding soldiers and generals. There was no panic in his eyes, as if the dangers on the battlefield had not affected his judgment.

He continued:
“The Qing army has deployed at least 3,000 soldiers in the east and west camps, and the number of Qing troops that can be mobilized from Gaizhou City to fight in the field will never exceed 10,000.

Even if Ji Halang and Fan Wencheng were to lead the troops themselves, they would only have four or five thousand men. We currently have three thousand soldiers and horses, and we have two combat battalions led by Lin Changfeng and Gao Jie in the rear. No matter how powerful this Qing army is, it cannot shake our foundation!

Zhu Cilang's words were powerful and gave everyone present a shot in the arm. Morale was crucial at this moment, and his calmness and decisiveness could quickly stabilize the shaken front.

He paused for a moment, then turned to his deputy general, Yagyu, and said in an unquestionable tone:

"Liu Sheng, you must immediately send a messenger to convey my order to Zhang Huangyan and Ma Bao. Don't worry about my safety. Be sure to annihilate all the Qing troops on the east and west wings!
Then dispatch extra troops to block the Qing army's retreat and cut off their chance of returning to the city."

Liu Sheng's brows were furrowed, his face full of hesitation. His eyes wandered back and forth between Zhu Cilang and the battlefield in the distance, as if he was wondering whether this was the best choice.

However, before he could speak, Zhu Cilang continued to give orders:

“Also, send someone to notify the artillery battalion to immediately set up their artillery and bombard Gaizhou City!
We must create enough commotion in the east and north to distract the Qing army from other matters."

"Your Majesty!" Yagyu finally couldn't help but speak, his tone filled with unconcealed worry:
"The enemy is fierce. If you are still here, what if——"

"Shut up!" Zhu Cilang's face suddenly darkened, and there was a rare anger in his voice.

He took a step forward, his eyes like torches, staring directly at Yagyu:
"Go quickly! If you delay military intelligence, you will find me this many elite Tartar soldiers next time, or I will chop you down!"

Liu Sheng was stunned by Zhu Cilang's roar, and a trace of fear flashed through his heart.

Zhu Cilang was not just venting his emotions at this moment, but he had a clear understanding of the situation and regarded this surprise attack as an excellent opportunity to annihilate the enemy.

If this battle could wipe out nearly 10,000 elite Qing troops, the Gaizhou City blocking Liaozhong would be like a piece of cake and could be captured within a month.

He is determined to win this battle!
"Yes!" Yagyu had no choice but to take a deep breath, bow his waist, clasp his fists, accept the order, turn around and leave quickly.

Zhu Cilang watched Liu Sheng go away, and just as he turned around to give another order, he suddenly seemed to think of something and turned to the messenger beside him and said:

"Oh, right, send someone to urge Li Benshen to hurry up and provide support! Tell him that if he's slow to act, I'll transfer him to Ma Bao's camp as a vanguard tomorrow!"

Before he could finish his words, there was a sharp "clang" sound, and an arrow grazed the chain mail on his chest.

Zhu Cilang felt a shock in his chest and almost staggered, but he quickly stabilized his body.

He looked down and saw that the arrow had grazed the outer layer of chain mail but had not penetrated the inner layer.

Obviously, this arrow was shot from more than two hundred steps away. Even if it was shot by an archer with amazing arm strength, it would be difficult to completely break through the protection of the double layer of armor.

Upon seeing this, the personal guards immediately rushed forward to protect Zhu Cilang.

They looked nervous, fearing that the enemy would take advantage of the chaos to shoot arrows again. Some of the generals even urged anxiously:
"Your Majesty, this place is too dangerous! You should move to the rear to avoid the attack!"

However, there was no sign of hesitation on Zhu Cilang's face.

He waved his hand to stop everyone, his tone cold and firm:
"If I retreat, this battle will be unwinnable. Remember, the dragon flag must not fall, and I must not retreat!"

These words, as heavy as cast iron, were engraved into the hearts of every guard present.

At this critical moment, Zhu Cilang still stood under the dragon flag, keeping the core of the army running.

As the flames flickered, the morale of the surrounding soldiers became even higher as they witnessed all this.

Their emperor never flinched, not even showing a hint of fear. Faced with such a righteous emperor, who could not refuse to fight to the death?

"Pass the order! The entire army must hold steady and advance step by step!" Zhu Cilang gave the order loudly.

As he expected, although the Qing army's offensive was fierce, it was ultimately unable to break through the Ming army's tenacious defense line. Taking advantage of the enemy's slight fatigue, the Ming army gradually launched a counterattack, and the situation began to turn in their favor.

In this battle, both Zhu Cilang's courage and decisiveness are destined to be written into the military history of the Ming Dynasty and become a chapter that will be passed down through the ages!
"Come!" Zhu Cilang shouted angrily, his tone filled with a tense yet firm strength.

Although it was the first time he faced such a deadly situation, he pushed away the guards in front of him without hesitation, even though there was an arrow stuck in his chest.

He seemed to be completely oblivious to the pain, and roared at the stunned Yagyu in a voice like a bell:
"Go quickly? What are you doing here?"

The loud roar made Yagyu tremble all over. At this moment, the hand holding the sword was even shaking, but he nodded subconsciously, ready to execute the order.

The personal guards present also stood there in a daze, not daring to come any closer. Zhu Cilang's action instantly made everyone realize that this was not just a dangerous moment, but also a crucial decision concerning life and death, victory or defeat.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang keenly realized the huge political significance hidden behind the raid.

This was not just a military confrontation, but also a perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his leadership in front of everyone. His mind was rapidly calculating the current battle situation.

The main force of the Ming army is now stationed in the south of Gaizhou City, with 40,000 troops on high alert. The sudden night attack by the Qing army outside the city is undoubtedly aimed at destroying the camp and creating chaos.

The Qing army that was dispatched this time was obviously an elite force. Although there were only three or four thousand of them, they had clear goals and acted quickly.

If the Ming army's front line is broken through by them, the battle situation will develop in an uncontrollable direction. Once the deployment of the main force of the Ming army is disrupted, the flanks and rear troops will not be able to return to support in time, and they will be surrounded by the Qing army, and the entire battle situation will fall into chaos.

In this case, the loss will not be just a few hundred lives, but may affect thousands or even tens of thousands of soldiers, along with mountains of baggage and supplies, which will be destroyed.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that he must not fail in this battle. If he took a step back, he would lose everything; and if he advanced, it would be a gamble between life and death.

As the commander-in-chief of an army, he could not allow himself to retreat. If he could withstand this wave of attacks and hold his ground before the arrival of reinforcements, it would be an excellent opportunity to completely defeat the elite Qing army.

If he wins this battle, he will not only be able to save the situation, but also establish his military power and prestige.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that he was not without a way out. The six hundred personal guards were still by his side, and their war horses were in good condition. If he chose to retreat, the combat power of his personal guards was enough to cover his escape.

Although the stray arrow just now almost took his life, it was just an accident and could not really threaten his safety.

He suddenly waved his hand, pushing away the guards who tried to support him, without even a frown. After shouting at Liu Sheng to leave, he turned to face the flag bearer and said in a cold and majestic voice:
"Come on the flag!"

This thunderous command suddenly woke the surrounding guards from their daze, and they all turned their eyes to Zhu Cilang.

The flag bearer immediately stepped forward and handed the Ming army flag to Zhu Cilang. Zhu Cilang took it, waved the dragon flag and shouted:
"Send a message to all camps! Assemble the defense line immediately! Heavy crossbowmen in the front, shield soldiers in the rear! Fire rockets and burn their camp!"

His voice pierced through the night and the chaotic battlefield, like thunder exploding in the sky, greatly boosting the morale of the soldiers.

For a moment, the Ming army's defense line was quickly adjusted, and various orders were conveyed in an orderly manner.

Zhu Cilang's decisiveness and majesty were like a reassurance, instantly stabilizing the entire army.

Zhu Cilang did not stop at the order. With a sharp gaze, he rode his horse forward and led dozens of personal guards to the front line.

He wanted every soldier to see that he was not only a commander-in-chief commanding the battle, but also a comrade who was willing to fight alongside them.

The personal guards followed closely behind, holding swords and guns, guarding him nervously and firmly.

As Zhu Cilang's figure gradually approached the battlefield, the Qing army's offensive began to become more and more frenzied, but the morale of the Ming army was also gradually rising.

The standard-bearer was slightly startled, his eyes falling on the emperor in front of him, who had an arrow stuck in his chest but was still standing like a mountain.

His face was full of shock and disbelief, but before he could react, Zhu Cilang strode forward and snatched the dragon flag from his hand.

At that moment, the flag bearer's hands were still shaking involuntarily, as if he had not yet recovered from the shocking scene before him.

Zhu Cilang held the dragon flag tightly, his eyes like torches as he looked around. He raised the long flag high and then waved it vigorously. Facing the cold wind, the dragon flag fluttered, and the imperial power was fully displayed!

At this moment, his figure seemed to merge with the battlefield. Every time he waved the flag, he conveyed an inspiring power, as if silently shouting:

"I am with all the soldiers!"

Just a moment ago, he had carefully observed the battlefield situation within a few hundred steps from the camp gate to the central military tent.

He knew very well that the enemy and our side were evenly matched and the situation was at a stalemate. The only way to break the deadlock was to boost morale.

He knew that this dragon flag was not only a symbol of imperial power, but also a beacon in the hearts of the soldiers.

Now, he personally held the flag with arrows on his body, which was tantamount to declaring:
"The Emperor has never retreated, so how can you retreat?"

Sure enough, the soldiers' attention was quickly attracted by the dragon flag. When they found that the person holding the flag was His Majesty, their blood vessels boiled and their eyes burst with fanatical fighting spirit.

"Your Majesty is right here, watching us fight in person. What is there to be afraid of?"

An invisible force quickly spread throughout the formation, and everyone seemed to have forgotten their fear, only thinking about killing the enemy to the death.

Zhu Cilang took advantage of the situation and shouted loudly, his voice resounding like thunder throughout the battlefield:

"All officers and men, listen to my orders! Kill one Tartar and you'll be rewarded ten taels of silver; kill one Green Camp soldier and you'll be rewarded five taels of silver! Anyone who retreats from the battlefield will be killed without mercy!"

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept across the ranks like a knife. Every soldier who met his gaze could feel the anger of his majesty.

A voice sounded in their hearts at the same time:
"If even the Emperor dares to defend himself with his flesh and blood, what do we have to fear?!"

South of Gaizhou City, the flames of war had already swept inside and outside the Ming army camp, and the battle entered a white-hot stage.

The western camp was once broken through by the Qing army, resulting in heavy losses, but Zhang Huangyan personally went to the battlefield and turned the tide with his experienced command and dispatch.

He seized the opportunity of Lin Chengde's slow attack, quickly adjusted his troops, and set up a tight net.

Despite the aggressive advance of the Qing army, Zhang Huangyan remained calm and used his rich battlefield experience to command the Ming army to incorporate various troops back into the established plan.

In the end, although the Qing army broke through the defense line, they failed to escape the "pocket formation" carefully set up by the Ming army.

Zhang Huangyan sat firmly in the center of the army, his eyes fixed on the front, and the command flag fell steadily. The messengers beside him worked tirelessly to pass on orders to all directions.

For him, this was just another "routine" battle on the battlefield.

Zhang Huangyan knew very well that victory or defeat on the battlefield was often determined by details, and the Qing army clearly lacked sufficient practice in fighting at night. In contrast, the Ming army usually focused on night combat training, and the soldiers' adaptability to dark environments and coordination of actions were far superior to their opponents.

Therefore, even if they lose control temporarily, they can quickly restore order and contain the chaos to a minimum.

The battle in the eastern camp was even more intense, but everything was under Zhu Cilang's control.

Ma Bao was ordered to stay here. He strictly followed the emperor's orders, took every step carefully, and had already prepared to "lure the enemy into a trap."

When the Qing army crossed the defense line, Ma Bao immediately ordered the Ming army to pretend to be defeated. The soldiers fought and retreated. The Qing army fell into the trap and pursued them with high morale.

However, just as the Qing army was approaching the core of the camp, Zhao Zhengdong, who had been sent by Ma Bao long ago, and another thousand-man army quietly circled outside the camp and were ready for battle.

Ma Bao stood on a high place, watching the Qing army gradually fall into encirclement, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

He waved his hand to send a signal, and the Ming army that had been lying in ambush rushed out from all directions, encircling the enemy in one go.

The Qing army generals were horrified and wanted to change their formation, but it was too late.

The battle in the camp then turned into a fierce hand-to-hand combat, with shouts of killing deafening. The morale of the Ming army was greatly boosted, while the Qing army gradually fell into chaos due to the loss of command.

At this time on the battlefield, completely different situations had formed on the east and west sides.

Zhang Huangyan of the West Camp took steady steps and gradually reversed the downward trend; Ma Bao of the East Camp seized the opportunity and commanded his soldiers to encircle the Qing army. The situation had already tilted towards the Ming army.

Between the two camps, Zhu Cilang held high the dragon flag, like a motionless banner, firmly maintaining the morale and will of the Ming army.

Under the dragon flag, a raging fire ignited in the hearts of the soldiers. The Ming army's counterattack was as swift as thunder, not only gradually suppressing the Qing army's offensive, but also leading them step by step into the abyss of inevitable defeat.

This battle was not only a contest between the Ming army and the Qing army, but also another test of Zhu Cilang's will of the soldiers.

(End of this chapter)