Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 339 The Emperor’s Mental Technique
"Why not?" Zhu Cilang raised his eyebrows slightly, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his tone was gentle but with a certain unquestionable majesty:
"If Xuan Zhuo hadn't feigned defeat and successfully deceived the first wave of Qing troops attacking at night, how could the other two Qing armies have fallen into the trap?

When it comes to luring the enemy at night, he's able to master the art of warfare so skillfully. Aside from Xuan Zhuo, I'm afraid no one else in the army can do it to this degree."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the tent tensed slightly. Zhang Huangyan's heart was shocked when he heard them, and he immediately understood the deep meaning behind Zhu Cilang's words.

Your Majesty's words are not only to absolve yourself of responsibility, but also to adjust the delicate relationship between the generals in the court.

Although Ma Bao has made outstanding contributions, he is a newly rising general after all. If he shows off too much, he will inevitably arouse the dissatisfaction of the veteran generals.

Zhu Cilang's move was undoubtedly to help him, a newcomer, suppress possible criticism, while also taking the opportunity to appease the old generals headed by Zhang Huangyan and consolidate the balance between them.

Zhang Huangyan was both moved and ashamed by the good intentions. He bowed his head and saluted with a humble expression:
"This is all due to your Majesty's strategic planning. I am only following orders. How dare I take the credit for this?

Your Majesty is a master of strategy, and I, along with the officers and soldiers, have simply been fulfilling our duties. If there is any merit, it is due to Your Majesty and the officers and soldiers for their dedication."

As soon as these words were spoken, with a humble tone and rigorous logic, the previous awkward situation was instantly resolved.

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang's eyes lit up slightly, and he was quite satisfied with Zhang Huangyan's performance.

Although Zhang Huangyan occasionally made mistakes, as the second-in-command of the army, he always respected the emperor's orders, was good at understanding the emperor's intentions, and maintained keen insight.

Such people are still an important part of Zhu Cilang's military management.

Zhu Cilang nodded slowly, his eyes swept across the generals in the tent, and his tone was full of majesty:
"I have long said that merit is merit, and fault is fault. If Xuanzhu has merit, I will reward him; if he has fault, I will punish him.

If even Xuan Zhuo doesn't dare take credit for this battle, then who else can?"

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Ma Bao and spoke in a slightly slower tone:
"Ma Bao, you've made the most contributions since the war began. Please comment on this. Is this true?"

Ma Bao had long understood the intention behind Zhu Cilang's question. As a representative of the new army, he could neither show off his edge and lose his sense of proportion, nor appear weak and incompetent, giving his colleagues something to talk about.

Hearing Zhu Cilang's question, he quickly bowed and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right! If General Zhang doesn't dare take credit for his achievements, how can I dare to flaunt the small feats I have managed to accomplish?"

Ma Bao's words were both reasonable and carefully planned. He looked around the tent, paused, and spoke in a more humble tone:

"Take this night attack as an example. If General Zhang had not risked his life and feigned defeat to lure the Qing army into an ambush, how could we have achieved such a great victory?

General Zhang's strategy was so meticulous and his acting was so realistic that even I was shocked.

It can be said that the majority of my men were able to survive this battle thanks to General Zhang's contributions."

When the veterans in the tent heard this, many of them looked at each other quietly, with a mysterious expression on their faces.

Ma Bao's words seemed to be praising Zhang Huangyan, but it was not difficult to detect the hidden harshness in them, especially the sentence "the acting was very realistic", which clearly sounded derogatory.

Although Ma Bao's words were polite, his method of "praising with a hint of criticism" was really hard to refute.

Zhang Huangyan's heart moved, but he did not show his emotions. If he tried to defend himself or care about it at this moment, it would only make him look narrow-minded.

The most important thing at the moment is to follow Zhu Cilang's arrangements, keep the situation stable, and avoid the expansion of internal conflicts.

His expression remained unchanged, and he responded with a cupped hand:

"General Ma, you're too kind. This victory was achieved through the concerted efforts of the entire army, not just the work of one individual.
Moreover, General Ma's men are known for their bravery and have long been admired by the other armies. If it weren't for the strong defense of your eastern camp, how could this general's strategy have been effective?

The confrontation between the two men was faintly competitive, but there were no flaws on the scene, which instead eased the atmosphere in the tent a bit.

Zhu Cilang saw it and nodded secretly in his heart.

Although this conversation was somewhat tentative and competitive, both Ma Bao and Zhang Huangyan were trying their best to maintain the current military structure, without crossing the line or causing chaos.

Zhu Cilang smiled lightly and waved his hand:

"Well, since all the generals are well aware of this, I won't elaborate further. This initial victory is certainly gratifying, but there are still many tough battles to be fought.

I hope you will prioritize the greater good, cooperate sincerely, and expand the territory of our Ming Dynasty."

"Your Majesty's instructions will be followed!" All the generals responded in unison, and the atmosphere in the tent suddenly became solemn.

"Hmm..." Zhu Cilang nodded slowly, looked around at the generals, and then said in a steady tone:
"The greatest credit for this battle belongs to Xuan Zhu, there is no doubt about that.

Secondly, it is the soldiers in my imperial camp who fought bloody battles and finally stabilized the situation. Otherwise, the war would have gotten out of control long ago.

As for Ma Bao, you also performed exceptionally well in this battle. Lin Changfeng, Gao Jie, and others also led reinforcements at a critical moment. All of you have made invaluable contributions."

Having said that, Zhu Cilang paused for a moment, his eyes becoming slightly deep, as if he was contemplating the next arrangements.

After this battle, he became more confident in Ma Bao's military ability.

Ma Bao's status in the army was also significantly improved as a result.

Those who previously had doubts about Ma Bao will probably disappear soon after this battle.

Silence is better than words on the battlefield, and Ma Bao proved his strength with actual performance.

However, while commending the achievements, Zhu Cilang knew very well in his heart that this victory was not easy and was far from being as flawless as he had imagined.

He understood that this battle certainly demonstrated the combat effectiveness of his army, but facing the equally well-trained elite Qing troops, the real reason for victory was the advantage of several times the number of troops.

If the two sides were evenly matched in strength, victory would probably not have been so easy. Even so, this battle did not seem "easy" at all.

According to preliminary statistics after the war, the Ming army suffered nearly 3,000 casualties and annihilated more than 4,000 Qing troops. There were still nearly 1,000 wounded soldiers among the Qing troops who retreated to Gaizhou City.

This exchange ratio was not ideal considering that the Ming army had an advantage in military strength.

This undoubtedly exposed the shortcomings of the Ming army's combat effectiveness. Although this group of new recruits had initially demonstrated resilience and discipline, after fighting with the elite Qing army, Zhu Cilang became increasingly aware that this army was still some distance away from being truly invincible in field battles.

He knew clearly that only when these soldiers gradually grew up in the following battles and experienced several trials of blood and fire could they become an invincible iron army.

However, the reality of the situation did not allow him to wait too long.

At this moment, the battle situation in Gaizhou City has reached a stalemate. Although the morale of the Qing army has been severely damaged by this battle and it is difficult to recover in a short period of time, they still have at least three or four thousand elite troops.

Although Zhu Cilang's Ming army had an advantage in external military strength, it also suffered four to five thousand casualties. Coupled with the same number of naval forces, it would undoubtedly be difficult to quickly capture Gaizhou City at a lower cost.

What's more, once the Qing army reinforcements from Liaozhong arrive during the siege, the situation will become extremely dangerous.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang did not allow his generals to return to camp to rest. After the commendation, he immediately summoned all the generals to hold a military meeting to discuss the post-war deployment. The opportunity for war was fleeting, and any delay could lead to a reversal of the situation.

"After this battle, the Qing army will undoubtedly be severely damaged. Unless reinforcements arrive, the morale of the city will inevitably decline, and it will be impossible for them to leave the city and fight our army in the field again."

Zhu Cilang pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly, his tone showing a hint of caution:

"But there are still tens of thousands of soldiers in Gaizhou City, and our army currently has less than 50,000 combat-ready soldiers. If the Qing army from Liaozhong takes advantage of our siege to arrive and reinforce, I'm afraid the situation will become extremely unfavorable."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the generals in the tent fell silent and the atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

Although the Ming army had the advantage on the battlefield, Zhu Cilang's concerns were not unreasonable. The defense of Gaizhou City was strong, and if the Qing army retreated into the city, the difficulty of defending the city would increase significantly.

What's more, the movements of the Qing army in Liaozhong are still unclear, and they may form a pincer attack on the Ming army at any time.

Seeing everyone in deep thought, Zhu Cilang slowly stood up, his tone becoming more and more steady:

"I have decided to dispatch scouts tomorrow to strengthen reconnaissance, focusing on monitoring the enemy's movements in the Liaozhong direction.

At the same time, Ma Bao and Lin Changfeng, you two will lead your troops to launch a tentative attack on the southeast corner of Gaizhou City. Make sure to find out the defensive weaknesses of the Qing army.

In addition, the navy must be on standby at all times and, if necessary, blockade the sea routes to cut off the enemy's reinforcements."

Hearing this, Ma Bao bowed and accepted the order, and Lin Changfeng also responded quickly:
"I will do my best to complete the mission!"

Zhu Cilang nodded and turned his gaze to the other generals:
"As for the defenses outside the city, we must not slack off in the slightest. Gao Jie, you will lead your troops to guard the northern defense line and guard against surprise attacks by the Qing army. Xuan Zhuo, you will be in charge of the western position and strengthen vigilance to ensure the safety of the rear transportation lines.

Everyone must understand that our goal is not only to capture Gaizhou City, but also to achieve victory at the lowest cost."

These words were so powerful that they shocked the generals. They looked at Zhu Cilang and couldn't help but feel admiration in their hearts.

As soon as Zhu Cilang finished speaking, a low murmur of discussion was heard in the big tent.

Although the generals were whispering to each other and many of them looked thoughtful, no one stepped forward to clearly put forward his own strategy.

Such silence did not surprise Zhu Cilang, but instead made him more certain that he had mastered the rhythm on the court.

He already had a preliminary plan for the current situation in his mind, but as the supreme commander of the Ming army, he could not easily abandon all his strategies.

If all strategies were formulated by him alone, and the others merely echoed or added a few words, then how could his authority be demonstrated? Where would his majesty come from?

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang's eyes swept over the generals present. He sat firmly in the main seat, his face expressionless, but in his heart he was secretly observing everyone's reaction.

After a long time, the low-pitched discussions gradually faded away, and a brief silence returned to the tent.

In the silence, Zhang Huangyan once again broke the deadlock. He stepped out of the line with his hands clasped together, and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, although the enemy forces in Liaozhong are numerous, if they wish to advance south, they must cross the mountains to the north. These mountains are strategically located, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and will serve as the key to our counterattack."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He looked at Zhang Huangyan and said in a deep voice:

"That's right. My thoughts coincide with General Zhang's.

If Dorgon wants to launch a major offensive, he must mobilize his forces from the northern mountains. If our army can set up an ambush in the mountains, we can cut off his advance and even severely damage his vanguard."

When the generals heard this, they nodded in agreement and the discussion started again.

At the same time, on the other side, in Gaizhou City, although the fighting had temporarily subsided, the whole city was still filled with an atmosphere of chaos and unrest.

Fan Wencheng stood in the temporary command post, his face showing no sign of relief. He had confirmed that the Ming army had indeed retreated and Zhu Cilang had not taken advantage of the victory to pursue and attack the city.

However, the shadow of defeat lingers.

Fan Wencheng did not dare to relax for a moment, and quickly summoned the generals in the city to resettle the more than 3,000 defeated soldiers who retreated into the city.

He knew very well that this defeated army was the last bit of strength of the Qing Dynasty here. If his morale could not be stabilized, the city defense would be in jeopardy.

Fan Wencheng instructed his men to select the elite soldiers who were still able to fight, reorganize them, and assign them to key defensive positions on the city walls.

He carefully adjusted his soldiers to the best condition in order to cope with the next possible attack from the Ming army.

After the defeated soldiers were settled, Fan Wencheng looked up at the setting sun and found that the sky was already dark.

He breathed a long sigh of relief, but without taking a moment to rest, he hurriedly summoned the generals who had retreated back to the city to discuss the next strategy for defending the city.

"Everyone," Fan Wencheng's voice was low but carried unquestionable majesty:
"Our current military strength here is not as strong as before, and morale has been severely damaged after today's battle.

If we don't come up with a practical and feasible plan to defend the city quickly, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold on any longer."

However, before he finished speaking, Zhang Li stood up from the table, his face unfriendly, and he clasped his fists and said coldly:
"Sir, I have advised you many times before that a night attack is inherently risky. The slightest mistake could lead to the collapse of the entire situation. And now it has proven to be true!
"We've suffered heavy casualties and our morale is low. If we had just held the city, waited until the Ming army was exhausted, and then waited for an opportunity to attack, we would have at least had some room to maneuver. But now we've ended up in this situation. It's truly heartbreaking!"

Zhang Li made no secret of his dissatisfaction in his words, and there was even a hint of rebuke in his words. He was proud of his contribution in supporting the defeated soldiers, so his words sounded particularly tough.

He did not dare to attack Ji Bai, a Manchu noble, directly, but he did not hesitate to point his spearhead at Fan Wencheng, a Han minister. There was anger and a bit of contempt in his tone.

Fan Wencheng's face darkened slightly, but he did not refute immediately. He knew that his situation was extremely delicate at this moment.

He was one of the main planners of this action and was also a Han official. If he rashly argued with Zhang Li, it would only exacerbate internal conflicts and make the situation more complicated.

The atmosphere around them suddenly became tense. Although Ji Bai, Lin Chengde, Chen Shiyou and others were all radicals in the army, they did not say a word at this moment.

They were the defeated side and had suffered heavy casualties in the battle. Their morale was already low, so they naturally did not have enough confidence to refute Zhang Li.

What's more, what Zhang Li said is not entirely unreasonable.

Fan Wencheng pondered for a moment, and finally broke the silence. His voice was low and slow, but with a hint of oppression:
"General Zhang is right. Today's defeat is indeed due to our poor decision-making. But it's pointless to assign blame now."

The most urgent task is to stabilize the morale of the troops and strengthen the city defenses. If we continue to lose time due to internal divisions, I am afraid that when the Ming army attacks, we will not even be able to maintain the strength to fight back!

His speech not only admitted the mistake but also directed the topic to the current urgent situation, cleverly resolving the awkwardness in the situation.

Zhang Li snorted coldly, but said nothing more.

The other generals also nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to concentrate their efforts and jointly discuss strategies for defending the city.

As the discussion continued, the lights in Gaizhou City gradually lit up, and a deployment concerning life and death was unfolding in full swing.

(End of this chapter)