Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 337 Different thoughts

Seeing this, Xu Shilin's face darkened and he immediately bowed with his hands clasped together and saluted Fan Wencheng with firm steps.

His voice was not loud, but his tone revealed a suppressed anger:

"Sir, I would like to urge Zhang Li to ask him why he is delaying military affairs and why he is still thinking about his few troops at this critical moment."

Xu Shilin was born into the Han Eight Banners family. Although he was an imperial guard appointed by the regent Dorgon himself, he was not solely dedicated to his duties as an attendant.

He understands military tactics and warfare, and is an excellent military advisor. Therefore, he is very clear about the current situation outside the city.

Seeing that the army was about to arrive at the city, he knew that if he did not attack in time and could not effectively support the 8,000 troops in the night attack, the current defense line would soon collapse, and the task of defending the city would then become even more difficult.

After hearing what Xu Shilin said, Fan Wencheng frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He turned his head and glanced at Xu Shilin in front of him. After a moment of silence, he nodded.

Seeing this reaction, Xu Shilin took the opportunity to emphasize his tone and said again:
"Sir, I am, after all, a personal guard appointed by the Prince Regent. If Zhang Li dares to delay, I will make sure he knows the law will not tolerate this!"

Fan Wencheng's frown was still not completely relaxed. He knew that Xu Shilin was indeed capable of solving the current dilemma, but his worries did not diminish.

After all, although Zhang Li was a general under his command, he sometimes seemed hesitant and unwilling to make decisions easily when facing a battle. This situation of repeated delays was indeed worrying.

"Hmm..." Fan Wencheng pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:
"In that case, Xu Shilin, you go now. If Zhang Li still doesn't take action, bring him to me immediately."

"Yes, national hero!" Xu Shilin replied, then bowed again and turned to walk out.

He brought several servants with him and hurried down the path inside the city gate, heading quickly towards the military camp in the south.

However, Zhang Li under the city did not act as quickly as Xu Shilin had expected.

When he received Fan Wencheng's urgent order, he was standing on the edge of the southern battlefield, looking down at the defeated soldiers pouring in. These soldiers, with embarrassed expressions and heavy breathing, hurried back to the city, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

Zhang Li couldn't help but feel doubtful, and his mind began to spiral.

The sounds of gunfire and shouts of killing came one after another from the south, and it was obvious that the battle was not over yet, but he did not believe that the Ming army had dispatched cavalry and successfully surrounded Ji Bai and Yang Minggao, whom he supported.

What he thought in his heart was that the Ming army was not yet strong enough to completely destroy his elite troops.

"Damn it, how could it be so fast..." Zhang Li muttered softly, feeling annoyed.

He did not agree with the statements of the defeated soldiers who retreated, thinking that they might be exaggerating. The main force of the Ming army had already been deployed, and the battlefield in the south was far away from the city wall, so the night was still a good cover for action.

He didn't think that Jibai and Yang Gao's troops would be trapped to death, but even so, he still felt a little uneasy.

Zhang Li's worry came more from the fact that if he rashly attacked to support Ji Bai and Yang Gao at this time, facing the complicated battle situation and the defeated troops who had already begun to retreat, the losses he would suffer would undoubtedly be huge.

Once the troops on our side are dispersed, wouldn't the entire defense line become even more shaky?
Moreover, it was still dark and the Ming army had already mobilized. If he took action at this time, he would probably have missed the best opportunity as Fan Wencheng said.

Just as Zhang Li was lost in thought, Xu Shilin's voice suddenly rang in his ears, filled with deep anger:

"Zhang Li, what the hell are you doing? Do you want to see Beile die?"

This curse was like thunder, exploding in Zhang Li's ears and immediately interrupting his previous thoughts.

Zhang Li frowned slightly. He knew from the voice that it was Xu Shilin who came.

Xu Shilin relied on his position as an imperial guard and was arrogant on a daily basis. Not only was he very rude to Fan Wencheng, he also yelled at the Green Camp Han generals and even the Eight Banners Army generals, as if everyone had to obey his orders.

Zhang Li was naturally very unhappy, especially every time he met Xu Shilin, he would feel an inexplicable annoyance.

However, despite his disgust, Zhang Li also knew that Xu Shilin had a special identity, and if he showed too much dissatisfaction, it might bring him trouble.

After all, although Xu Shilin has a bad temper, he is an imperial guard after all. Offending him will inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, Zhang Li still forced a smile and responded respectfully:

"General Xu is here. Brother, I was just dispatching troops and will lead them to support Beile soon."

He was careful to remain polite and tried his best to appear appropriate.

Xu Shilin's eyes rolled, obviously thinking about something.

After a moment, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, as if he had thought of something important, and then he said:

"The emperor has ordered that you and I go together to support Beile. We must leave now without losing a moment."

Zhang Li's heart moved slightly. Although he was a little reluctant, he had no choice but to agree.

He immediately waved his hand to the officers under his command and instructed:
"Go notify the cavalry outside and prepare to set off immediately!"

Immediately, the Han Eight Banners soldiers who had been prepared in advance immediately began to move under command, gathered outside the city and quickly formed a team.

At the same time, defeated Qing soldiers continued to flee from the Ming army camp.

Xu Shilin's eyes were sharp. When he saw these deserters, he stopped a defeated soldier without hesitation. The soldier had lost his helmet and was covered in mud. He asked in a stern voice:
"Where is Jibai Beile? What's the situation in the south?"

He looked in the direction of the fleeing soldiers, with a hint of anxiety and expectation in his eyes. The Ming army's encirclement had already been broken, and he was eager to make a contribution in front of Jibai Beile.

The fleeing soldier was obviously panicked, his eyes were blurred, and he said incoherently:

"We were dispersed by the Ming army, and the Ming army was dispersed by Jibai Beile's troops. During the fighting, we ran away..."

Xu Shilin's patience had been exhausted, his face darkened, he suddenly pushed the defeated soldier away, swung his gun casually, and knocked the defeated soldier to the ground.

Then he shouted angrily:
"Stop talking nonsense and follow me!"

Then he drew the long sword from his waist, rode on horseback with a dozen flag bearers, and galloped towards the battlefield in the south.

Zhang Li and Xu Shilin quickly arrived at the battlefield, only to see a group of defeated Qing soldiers fleeing at full speed around the Ming army's position. They had just broken through the Ming army's encirclement and were running towards the city gate in panic.

The Ming army quickly realized this and followed closely, forming a new encirclement.

Several Ming army soldiers raised their bows and arrows, aimed at the deserting group, and began shooting wildly.

Xu Shilin and Zhang Li spoke almost at the same time:
"kill!"

The two men gave simultaneous orders, and their cavalrymen broke through the original line in an instant, then quickly advanced and launched a fierce attack on the Ming army. The Ming soldiers were already in a state of tension and confusion, and were caught off guard by the Qing army's counterattack. The cavalry led by Xu Shilin and Zhang Li rushed straight into the Ming army's position like a broken bamboo.

They had no time to organize an effective defense. The Ming army's reserve troops were supposed to stay behind when the Ming army surrounded them, but due to Jibai Beile's unexpected counterattack, the rhythm of the entire encirclement was disrupted.

At the same time, Yang Minggao and Lin Changfeng were holding back the enemy's main force on the front line, causing the Ming army's encirclement plan to fall into chaos in an instant.

Seeing that the Qing army's counterattack cavalry had launched an attack, the Ming army was defeated and scattered, and their morale began to waver.

The cavalry led by Xu Shilin and Zhang Li broke through the Ming army's formation in just a few minutes. The Qing army's two-pronged attack almost caused the Ming army's defense line to collapse.

The Ming army was vulnerable and a large number of soldiers fell. The number of casualties soon exceeded one hundred.

Xu Shilin and Zhang Li did not slow down their pace and continued to oppress the defeated Ming army.

Both of them realized that this was a rare opportunity. If they could take advantage of it to suppress the Ming army's retreat, they would be able to greatly reverse the situation and might even defeat the Ming army's counterattack in one fell swoop.

However, despite the chaos in the Ming army's position, Xu Shilin and Zhang Li remained cautious. They did not blindly attack with all their strength, but maintained a more cautious pace of advancement.

Both men understood that although such a surprise attack was swift and fierce, it would require more time and more precise coordination to completely change the situation of the battle.

Xu Shilin knew very well that this was not the time to underestimate the enemy. If he was too eager for quick success, he might instead incur unforeseen risks.

As for the Ming army, although several officers reacted quickly and organized their troops to counterattack in an attempt to stabilize the defense line again, the counterattack was very weak due to the fierce attack of the Qing army and the chaos within the Ming army.

After several waves of attacks, the Ming army's resistance seemed increasingly weak.

The Qing cavalry penetrated the Ming army like sharp swords, cutting through the Ming army's defense line. The morale of the Ming army soldiers collapsed and they had almost no ability to fight back.

At this moment, Zhang Li and Xu Shilin knew that they had gained a decisive advantage.

With a burst of dense musketry and the whistling of bows and arrows, the Ming army's line quickly expanded, and the smell of blood on the battlefield became stronger and stronger.

Zhang Li and Xu Shilin took the lead, and the army followed closely behind, quickly rushing into the enemy camp.

As they attacked, a significant gap gradually appeared in the Ming army's encirclement, and the situation on the battlefield instantly tilted.

The two generals did not feel relieved, but became even more anxious. They knew that the most worrying thing in this breakout was not the enemy's firepower, but Jibai's safety.

The two generals remained alert at all times, searching for Jibai's figure on the battlefield.

Jibai's safety is directly related to the success or failure of this operation. If something happens to him, not only will the retreat of the main force be seriously affected, but their personal safety will also become a pretext for attack from powerful officials in the harem and senior decision makers.

In any case, Zhang Li and Xu Shilin did not dare to underestimate the success or failure of this operation. The responsibility behind it was far beyond their imagination.

Zhang Li knew that if something really happened to Ji Bai, no matter how successful the night attack was, everything they did would be in vain.

In order to deal with this potential crisis, Zhang Li had secretly made arrangements and instructed his trusted subordinates to observe Ji Bai's movements at all times. Once an emergency occurred, immediate measures must be taken to rescue him.

More than 200 elite troops were dispatched to the camps on the east and west sides to provide support, but according to the intelligence just brought back by Tang Ma, the enemies on both sides had collapsed, and only sporadic defeated soldiers escaped, and the main force had already been suppressed.

Those two directions had almost become dead ends, and the hope of withdrawal was slim. Zhang Li did not hold out much hope.

Despite this, Zhang Li still insisted on sending reinforcements, as he did not want to give up any chance of survival.

At the same time, he had secretly instructed his trusted subordinates to respond to the situation and prepare a retreat plan in advance.

Once the situation becomes grim, you must remain vigilant and ensure that your troops can evacuate smoothly.

Zhang Li's mood became increasingly heavy. He kept thinking about the information he had just received. The most important thing to be solved right now was Ji Bai's safety.

He and Xu Shilin both knew that Ji Bai was in the battle formation and could become a target of enemy arrows and muskets at any time. If Ji Bai fell, the entire plan would almost fail.

As the situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse, Zhang Li finally led his troops to find Ji Bai while surrounded by the enemy.

Seeing that Jibai was still safe and sound, Zhang Li felt relieved.

However, just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Xu Shilin's eyes almost popped out.

Zhang Li suppressed his anxiety and quickly met up with Yang Gao. Afterwards, several Qing army commanders, under the cover of their personal guards and servants, began to break through towards the city gate.

Seeing the Ming army gradually closing in, Zhang Li knew that if he didn't retreat, he might be trapped in this deadly situation.

In order to ensure that the main force could break through smoothly, he and Xu Shilin used up all their remaining strength and did not care about anything else, and began to evacuate rapidly with the remaining troops.

The situation on the battlefield was still complicated, with the sounds of gunfire, artillery fire and bows and arrows whistling incessantly.

The Ming army soldiers have been fully engaged in the battle to pursue the defeated Qing army. Their morale is roaring like wild beasts, and they charge across the battlefield.

Seeing their commander's flag flying away, the Qing soldiers trapped in the Ming army lost their last fighting spirit, and suddenly became leaderless and fled in all directions.

Seeing that retreat was hopeless, some soldiers turned around and began to flee for their lives, while others were knocked down by the Ming army's arrows and muskets.

In this almost hopeless battle, many Qing soldiers fled desperately with injuries, but most of them could not escape the fate of death.

Some soldiers lost their weapons and could only drag their injured legs forward, but the Ming army's pursuit did not give them a chance to breathe.

Those once mighty elite soldiers were reduced to miserable deserters under the fierce attack of the enemy.

Their eyes were filled with fear, and some were even killed alive by the Ming army soldiers behind them, while others fell on top of their dead comrades and became abandoned corpses on the battlefield.

Seeing the Qing army's defeat, the Ming army showed no mercy and pursued them with all their might.

Those Qing soldiers who tried to surrender were all killed by the Ming army's swords. The angry shouts of the Ming soldiers and the sounds of weapons clashing could be heard behind them.

However, although most of the Qing army had begun to flee in all directions, under the leadership of Zhang Li, Xu Shilin and others, the main generals such as Ji Bai and Yang Gao finally succeeded in breaking through the siege and quickly retreated into the city with the remaining troops.

Just as they retreated, the artillery on the city wall began to fire. The roar of the artillery resounded through the sky, greatly suppressing the enemy's offensive momentum.

Although the main generals of the Qing army had escaped danger at this time, they still knew that although they had saved their lives in this battle, they had paid a huge price.

There was a fierce battle between the Ming army's fierce pursuit on the battlefield and the Qing army's retreat.

(End of this chapter)