Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 332 Falling into the trap
At this time, the outside of the Ming army camp was almost surrounded by dense traps and obstacles.

As early as several days ago, the Ming army began to set up a defense line and deliberately dug a trench nearly ten feet wide around the camp. The trench was deep and wide enough to deprive any enemy troops trying to break through of some mobility.

What was even more deadly was that the bottom of the trench was filled with sharp branches, waiting for the unsuspecting enemy to fall in.

However, the real cleverness lies elsewhere.

In order to lure the Qing army into the camp, the Ming army laid a cover on the trench - thousands of wooden sticks were carefully arranged and closely connected.

It was covered with heavy wooden boards and a thin layer of soil. After half a month of being trampled on, it had become strong enough to withstand ordinary attacks.

The Qing army's night raid was completely unaware of this strange trap.

Just as the Ming army had planned, once the Qing army advanced into the camp with all their might and completed the encirclement, they would immediately remove the wooden boards, and the wooden sticks hidden underneath would pierce the enemy's legs and feet, becoming a huge obstacle to their escape.

Even if the Qing army realized that something was wrong and wanted to retreat quickly, their retreat route had already been completely cut off by the traps set by the Ming army.

For the Ming army, the goal of this battle was to completely annihilate this Qing army unit that dared to launch a night attack.

However, the most complicated and dangerous situation was still outside Zhu Cilang's central military tent, located in the center of the Ming army camp.

Directly south of Gaizhou City, under the dark night, the battle has entered a white-hot state.

At the beginning, Yang Gao's attack was contained by hundreds of imperial soldiers under Liu Sheng.

Although the Qing army led by Yang Gao was extremely brave and intended to break through the Yagyu defense line, they failed to do so.

Facing the elite Ming army guards, Yang Gao's several fierce charges were blocked by the strong defense, and he was never able to break through the Ming army's line.

However, Yang Gao obviously did not retreat because of this. Instead, he became more and more courageous. Every failure deepened his determination to break through.

At this moment, he knew in his heart that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Although the distance of two hundred steps is not far, for him, this step may determine the direction of the entire battlefield.

Whether he wanted to force Zhu Cilang to retreat by intimidation or was determined to kill him directly, he had to use the strongest momentum to break through Zhu Cilang's defense line in one fell swoop.

In this smoke-filled battlefield, Zhu Cilang's dragon flag was undoubtedly the most eye-catching target. Both Yang Gao and the Ming army soldiers clearly saw the dragon flag flying high.

It is not only a personal symbol of Zhu Cilang, but also a pillar of the morale of the Ming army.

As long as this flag falls or any signs of retreat appear, the morale of the Ming army will collapse instantly and the situation on the battlefield will quickly turn.

But the situation was far from as easy as Yang Gao had imagined. Zhu Cilang insisted on commanding the battle personally and did not make any move to retreat.

The Yagyu Imperial Camp set up a sophisticated defense line in front of the Ming army's tent. They were well-trained and responded quickly, leaving Yang Gao no chance to take advantage.

Every time Yang Gao charged, he was fiercely blocked by the Imperial Camp. The impact did not achieve the expected breakthrough effect, but instead encountered a strong counterattack.

As time went on, the situation of the Ming army gradually reversed.

During the confrontation between Yang Gao and the Yagyu Imperial Camp, the three combat battalions of the Ming army finally resumed their combat status and quickly engaged in the melee.

Nearly two thousand Ming army soldiers went from being at a loss at the beginning to calmly counterattacking now. The whole situation suddenly became complicated. Yang Gao's original plan to end the battle quickly through a breakthrough now seems difficult to achieve.

"Quick, report the battle situation here to Jibai immediately!" After a fierce exchange of fire, Yang Gao finally realized that the situation was not good.

He had to withdraw from the front line. As soon as he retreated to the back of the formation, several flag bearers around him rode their horses at full speed and quickly brought Yang Gao's order to Ji Bai.

"I've already held Zhu Cilang back, less than three hundred steps from the camp gate." Yang Gao gasped as he quickly gave the order:
"Tell the prince immediately that as long as we send heavy troops to break through the two sides of the Ming army camp and encircle them, Zhu Cilang will definitely not be able to escape!"

There was a glint of excitement in his eyes. As long as the defense lines on both sides of the Ming army were broken, Zhu Cilang's central army would be completely surrounded, and the battle would enter a decisive stage.

However, he also knew that time was of the essence and that he had to act quickly to prevent any counterattack by the Ming army.

However, what he had not expected was that Zhu Cilang had already laid out a thorough defense line in response.

In the Ming army camp, Zhu Cilang did not simply rely on tough military force to deal with the Qing army's attack. He cleverly used the terrain, set up sophisticated traps and preset counterattack plans.

As soon as Yang Gao finished speaking, he quickly gathered the soldiers with the flag bearer, preparing to launch another fierce offensive to put more pressure on Zhu Cilang from the front.

At this moment, a cold light flashed in his eyes. Although he had suffered a great loss under the powerful counterattack of Zhu Cilang's imperial camp, Yang Gao was not discouraged. Instead, he became more determined.

In this battle, he must defeat Zhu Cilang and gain an unshakable position and reputation for himself - no matter what, there can be no retreat in this battle.

At the same time, the Tangma horses rode out of the camp without hesitation and rushed to the front line to deliver the latest military information to the Jibai camp.

Every bit of information is crucial, especially at such a critical moment, when any glimmer of hope could be the turning point that changes the situation.

A sneer flashed through Yang Gao's mind: After being repelled by Zhu Cilang's imperial camp, he realized that he could not quickly break the situation by relying on his own strength.

However, he knew clearly that Zhu Cilang did not take the opportunity to abandon his troops and escape like other enemy commanders.

Zhu Cilang still held his ground and continued to lead his troops to fight against the Qing army. This indomitable attitude gave Yang Gao a glimmer of hope - as long as Zhu Cilang could be captured or even killed, the situation could be completely reversed.

"The opportunity is right in front of us!" Yang Gao gritted his teeth secretly. At this moment, he could not care about anything else and had to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He hurriedly sent someone to contact Ji Bai, asking him to send troops to support him as soon as possible. If Zhu Cilang could be captured and killed in one fell swoop, no matter who made the contribution in the rear, he would benefit from it - not to mention that this was a key battle related to his personal promotion.

Yang Gao is not the kind of person who is easily fooled. He has long seen through Fan Wencheng's intentions. Although he often pretends to be loyal and sincere in front of Fan Wencheng, in fact he only cares about whether he can get promoted through this battle.

He did not completely trust Fan Wencheng's promise. After all, human hearts were unpredictable. In the Game of Thrones, who could guarantee that they would get what they wanted every time?

However, if he could successfully capture and kill Zhu Cilang and defeat the Ming army, then neither Fan Wencheng nor Ji Bai would be able to shake his position.

In front of everyone, who would dare to compete with him for credit?

As for Ji Bai, although Yang Gao wanted to curry favor with him on the surface, he already had a plan in mind.

If Ji Bai really did as Fan Wencheng said, relying on his status to suppress him, and finally refused to let him go into battle at the critical moment, then he would definitely bring out Fan Wencheng for his support.

After all, Fan Wencheng had promised personally that even if he was not rewarded with merit for killing Zhu Cilang, at least his interests would be guaranteed - as for the final result, he would at least be given some conditions and guarantees.

After all, in this situation, whoever can truly control the battlefield will dominate the future.

Complex calculations and desires surged in Yang Gao's mind. He knew that only by making great military achievements could he ensure his status and future.

After all, as a Han general who had raised his flag many years ago, Yang Gao was not completely without any resources. However, time waited for no one, and Yang Gao made a decision without hesitation. He immediately gathered hundreds of his soldiers and personally led the charge again.

This time, he no longer had any way to retreat and had to destroy the enemy's position in one fell swoop to win the greatest merit for himself.

On the other side, Zhu Cilang was now completely immersed in thinking about the battle situation. Although the arrow in his chest caused him unbearable pain, this pain failed to weaken his keen insight into the battle situation.

At this time, he already had a clearer judgment of the current battle situation.

In addition to Yang Gao who was fighting the enemy head-on, he also noticed the defensive situation on both wings.

He assigned more than 400 guards to the key defense lines on both wings to ensure that the enemy's attack would not penetrate from other directions.

Zhu Cilang knew that although there was a large army led by Yang Gao attacking from the front, the safety of the two wings must be guaranteed. If any loopholes occurred at this time, the enemy might break through in one fell swoop, and he and the Ming army would be in even greater trouble and would inevitably suffer a devastating disaster.

Therefore, he constantly adjusted the deployment of troops, putting more elite troops into the key positions of defense on both wings, and at the same time stepped up the command of the imperial camp to engage in fierce contact with the Qing army.

Every step of command must be carried out with caution, as any negligence may cause the situation to take a sharp turn for the worse.

His action of personally holding the flag in the battle was not only to boost morale.

Only by personally taking part in the battle could he truly inspire the loyalty and courage of his soldiers, and let every soldier see an emperor who would not retreat when they charged into battle.

At this moment, a goal became clearer in his mind: he must not let Yang Gao have the chance to defeat him.

No matter what, he must hold on until the last moment and never allow the enemy to break through the camp or even seize the dragon flag!
Yang Gao led his soldiers to the front line again, followed by hundreds of soldiers he carefully selected. Although the situation was not optimistic for them at this time, Yang Gao was still full of confidence.

He knew that as long as he could break through Zhu Cilang's defenses and kill the young emperor, the morale of the Ming army would suffer a fatal blow and the entire battle situation would be reversed in an instant.

Zhu Cilang remained steadfast in his stance, leading the imperial camp to fight against the Qing army. Every order he issued was precise and decisive.

Zhu Cilang stood quietly in a corner of the battlefield, but he had already made up his mind - if the situation became critical, he would retreat without hesitation to ensure that he could successfully break through and save his life.

For him, this battle was certainly a matter of life and death for the Ming army, but more importantly, it was about his life and future.

The territory of the Ming Dynasty can be fought for again, but once he dies, everything will be over.

As the ruler of a country, calmness and decisiveness in decision-making are indispensable weapons on the battlefield.

His eyes quickly scanned the situation in front of him. Although he seemed to be at a disadvantage on the front battlefield, he was not panicked.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that if the enemy's offensive did not slow down, he would retreat to the safe area in the rear without hesitation and calmly organize a counterattack.

And now, the situation is just as he expected - with the support of elite troops, not only did the situation on the front battlefield begin to reverse, but even the Qing army's attacks on both sides of the camp were effectively curbed.

The Qing army's offensive, which had originally had the upper hand, suddenly showed signs of stagnation after the two armies came into contact.

As more Ming reinforcements arrived, the situation on the battlefield underwent subtle changes, the balance of forces between the two sides gradually balanced, and a tense stalemate formed. Especially when Jibai's army arrived at the front line, the situation changed fundamentally.

Even though Yang Gao surrounded the Ming army on both sides, with the help of this new force, the Ming army was no longer on the passive defensive, but instead had the opportunity to counterattack.

At this time, Yang Gao's offensive rhythm was suddenly disrupted, and the battle situation that was originally planned to encircle Zhu Cilang became confusing. The situation was far from as smooth as he expected.

On the west side of the central army camp, the darkness of the night was suddenly broken by dozens of short axes and spears.

They flashed from the darkness like ghosts and rushed towards Wang Zhongzhen's musket formation.

Following a few shrill howls, several musketeers fell to the ground, obviously having been hit by accurate shots.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of spear heads came one after another, fierce gunfire pierced the night, and soldiers appeared like ghosts on the smoke-filled battlefield.

The musketeers were caught off guard and had little time to reload their ammunition. They could only rely on the orders of the officers behind them to retreat quickly.

The order to retreat had not yet been fully conveyed, but in the tense atmosphere, the Qing army's sword and shield soldiers and spearmen had already swarmed forward and bravely attacked the musketeers, and a fierce fight broke out between the two sides.

The sound of swords and guns clashing continued to ring out. The spears and blades in the hands of the young and vigorous soldiers on the battlefield looked particularly terrifying under the flickering firelight. The battle between the two sides was difficult to resolve for a while.

Yang Gao's bravery and courage in fighting greatly inspired the soldiers under his command.

At the beginning of the raid, they quickly suppressed the Ming army's front-line positions and began to gradually approach the main camp.

However, just as the Qing army soldiers were approaching the camp with full confidence, Wang Zhongzhen's tenacious resistance made the situation on the entire battlefield delicate.

Although the Qing army had the upper hand for a time, the situation began to change as the Ming army gradually formed an effective defense line under the cover of night.

As a member of the Ming army's vanguard, Wang Zhongzhen was particularly brave in this battle.

He led the first batch of Qing troops into the Ming army camp. Faced with the stubborn resistance of the Ming army, he was not afraid and charged forward resolutely.

The sounds of the battlefield became louder and louder, and the air was filled with the neighing of horses and the clashing of swords and spears.

Wang Zhongzhen watched his comrades fall one by one, and his heart became more and more angry. He knew that only by completely defeating the resistance of the Ming army could they succeed in one fell swoop.

However, just as the battle reached a stalemate, the situation changed again.

Jibai led the Manchu Eight Banners to the battlefield and quickly divided into several small teams to support the Green Camp soldiers who were engaged in fierce fighting with the Ming army. He had already grasped the battlefield situation through Yang Gao's military reports and immediately mobilized his own troops to provide support.

At this time, he was wearing iron armor, spurring his horse, and leading dozens of personal guards into the Ming army camp. The personal guards around him all had lightning-like eyes. With Jibai's arrival, the whole battle situation seemed to have taken a turn for the better.

Jibai's arrival not only brought new combat power to the Qing army, but also greatly boosted their morale.

Based on the situation on the battlefield, he quickly decided to disperse his forces to both sides of the camp, sending out three Niulu troops on each side to strongly support the Green Camp troops who were fighting against the Ming army.

With the arrival of Jibai's reinforcements, the Ming army's counterattack, which had been gradually recovering, was forced to be thwarted again, and the Qing army's offensive momentum was restored.

When Zhu Cilang saw this scene, he had already made a decision in his heart.

If no action is taken, the entire battle will be completely out of control. Although the current situation is still complicated, he is not panicked. Instead, he calmly begins to command the subsequent counterattack.

As time went on, the morale of both sides on the battlefield fluctuated, and the battle situation remained in a stalemate.

With the reinforcement of Jibai, the Ming army was under pressure, but not completely in desperate situation. At the critical moment, the opportunity for counterattack could come at any time.

(End of this chapter)